Major Announcement: New Logo and New Website!

Since 2004, we at Eureka Crystal Beads, a Rhode Island based company, have been committed to providing customers with not only the highest quality beading supplies, but the best customer experience available. We have worked hard to provide an exceptional shopping experience from our easy to search website design to our no nonsense and completely secure ordering to exhibiting in person at bead expos throughout the country. We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of the industry, constantly searching out the most unique and interesting products, techniques, methods and designers. We are a  CREATE YOUR STYLE partner with Swarovski,  participate in the Swarovski annual event in Tucson,  and we work closely with an elite group of designers called  Swarovski  Ambassadors.  Our customers come from all over the world and represent  all levels of beaders,  from hobbyists to world class professionals.

We strongly believe that beading is an art and a craft and as such it is a hands-on experience so we continue to do upwards of 30 bead shows per year to get the chance to speak with customers in person, introduce the latest arrivals and get feedback about our products. Nothing compares to having the opportunity to see and feel our beads, discover new favorites or have the chance to pick up a limited edition color or shape that won’t make it to our online store because we have some in such small quantities. It is in this collaborative spirit that we work with many different designers to create our exclusive make it yourself kits, devise new and interesting workshops and promote interaction and exchange between designers, beading enthusiasts, bead manufacturers and vendors.

These past several years have flown by, and we are excited about recommitting to those goals we set ourselves at the very outset. Our new logo, a crown, is an expression of these ideals and returns us to the heart of what drove us to found this business in the first place. The inspiration for our company name comes from the ancient story of Archimedes. When asked to determine if the king’s new crown was indeed pure gold, Archimedes discovered that by submerging an irregular shaped object in water, one could determine its volume and then calculate its density. So excited by this insight, he is said to have leaped out of his bathtub and run down the streets of Syracuse, shouting “Eureka!” – a Greek word meaning “I’ve found it!.” This flash of insight, this moment of discovery, this was the driving force behind Eureka Crystal Beads, our goal to elicit those kinds of reactions from beaders and designers as they discover the perfect color or shape or become inspired by our products to create amazing wearable artwork. We invite you to explore our new website or join us at a bead expo near you and take part in this marvelous process of discovery!

Latest Crystal Craze: DeCoRé Clay!

The popular new trend that’s captured the hearts and imaginations of crystal lovers and jewelry makers is DeCoRé Clay. And no wonder! This clay is so easy to use and the results are stunning!  It only takes three components and a little bit of time to design and make a fabulous, fashionable and most importantly, sparkly piece of jewelry.

DeCoRe ring by Anne Potter

The first ingredients you need are the Swarovski Elements Crystal Chatons. Pick from the overwhelming variety of shapes, colors and sizes to create your design. Are you going for lots of tiny crystals for a shimmery effect? Or do you prefer several large jewels that make a statement? An organized pattern or crystalized chaos? The possibilities are endless! These chatons will be the focal point for your piece. They are perfect for working with DeCoRé Clay because their pointed backs make them adhere to the clay and the foil backing reflects all the light right back at you, resulting in unparalleled brilliance.

Next, you need to choose a bezel finding to be the base for your clay. You can really use any surface, as long as you clean off any oils with rubbing alcohol, DeCoRé will stick. However, for best results, we recommend using a bezel finding which come as earrings, pendants and my personal favorite, rings!

Necklace by Elizabeth Anne

Once you have your Swarovski Crystal Chatons and your bezel base, it’s time to choose your DeCoRé Clay. And that’s no easy task! This two-part epoxy clay comes in 28 unique colors! Keeping in mind your selection of chatons, you can choose to highlight light colors with a dark clay, or showcase deep colored crystals with a pale background. You can choose a complimentary color of clay or a contrasting one, it’s up to you!

To use DeCoRé clay, all you have to do is mix equal amounts of Part A with Part B and stick it in a bezel finding. The clay will remain workable for 90 minutes, give or take (depending on the amount you use) so you have plenty of time to transfer your fabulous design ideas into the clay. Then leave the clay for 24 hours. It’s that simple.

The benefits of DeCoRé over other epoxy clays are obvious. DeCoRé is nontoxic, so you don’t need to wear gloves, or use any kind of special ventilation or masks. It dries without baking so you don’t need any special equipment at all! Plus you don’t need to use all of it at once, just pinch off what you need and keep the rest for another project. The clay will stay good for over a year!

It’s a great project for groups, especially kids, and this technique can accommodate any style preference. Have a big special event coming up and are looking for that unique statement piece to finish off your outfit? Now you can make custom, professional quality jewelry for a fraction of the cost and almost no time whatsoever!

Try it out for yourself and see where your imagination takes you! Contact us directly for more information about this fabulous new product: support@eurekacrystalbeads.com. It is so new that it is available only by special order or from our booth at the next bead show (for schedule click here) and stay tuned to this blog as we will be uploading a how-to video that explains the process in simple, step by step directions shortly.

Happy Beading!

New Swarovski Colors for Spring/Summer 2013!

We are excited to bring to you the latest Swarovski Innovations for Spring/Summer 2013 that have just been released. This season is meant to reflect authentic values such as togetherness, loyalty and tradition. These mouthwatering new colors blend beauty with technology and work with both cutting-edge and modern looks as well as vintage ones. See for yourself!

Rose Peach
Like last season’s Crystal Antique Pink, this fun and flirty Rose Peach is bold yet romantic. This delightful shade will conjure up the delicate image of a cherry blossom combined with the sweet smell of an English rose. A decided favorite for adding romantic flair and blushing beauty to any project.

Crystal Luminous Green
Enticing crystals with a playful display of shimmering green that flirts with the light in a violet reflection, this lovely color is reminiscent of a fantasy creation full of romance and serenity. Crystal Luminous Green is poised to become one of Swarovski’s most popular finishes.

Burgundy-Blue Zircon Blend
This new blend of two existing colors, Blue Zircon and Burgundy, embodies the brilliant shades inside a Mediterranean sunset.

Fern Green Topaz-Blend
This earthy green tone is meant to highlight the look of a woodland forest captured at dusk, reflecting a down-to-earth feel.

Spring/Summer Color Trends 2012 for Beading

It may be cold out but it’s time to start thinking about spring and summer jewelry so you can be ready to show it off when the mercury rises. We’ve collected a few trends for Spring/Summer 2012 to give you a little heads up on what’s going to be big this coming season:

Summer Heat
Sun drenched evenings of ripe summer invite you to experiment with opaque tones. Fiery reds subdued by solid grays and cool granite. Copper and gold finishes form warm color combinations of distinct orange and provocative yellow serves as a counterpoint.
Colors:
yellow-red, virtual yellow, dark grey, gold honey, copper, bee wax, neutral gray, coral, black
diamond.

Budding Spring
Nature awakens with contrasts of pastels and bright fresh leaf colors. Magic energy of new life emerges from the hopeless wasteland of sleeping nature and brings new optimism.
Colors:
light gray, light blue, light lime yellow, brown-green, green banana, olive brown, blue opal, light
vitrail.

In the Style of Romance

The enchanting romantic color blend of light amethyst and peachy skin tones pleasantly compliments the silky softness of chocolate brown. Mixing bead shapes and sizes with techniques like embroidery brings out the connection between fabric and glass ornamentation.

Colors:

light amethyst, chocolate brown, light peach, lilac, muted purple shades, dusty pink, russet, rose, taupe

Pure Joy
Sun bleached pure and airy soft pastels complement the omnipresent white in all its imaginable shapes and structures. Bright summer days, reminiscent of refreshing vacation time invite us to experience pleasant scents and colors of a sandy beach stroll.
Colors:
white opal, pale shades of white, transparent light yellow, light blue-green, white alabaster, light topaz, yellow and blue luster, crystal matt.

 

Beading Q and A: All About Czech Glass Beads

Welcome to a new series of beading questions and answers that will be running regularly on this blog. Here at Eureka we get a lot of questions about all things having to do with beads and beading so it felt like a good time to get all this information down in an easy to search format.

Today I’ll be answering some frequent questions that we get about our gorgeous Czech glass beads.

Q: What’s the difference between Swarovski crystal and Czech fire-polished beads?

A: Swarovski is an Austrian manufacturer of faceted crystal beads in a huge variety of colors and shapes. It is a luxury fashion brand and it is incorrect to use Swarovski to refer to any other crystal beads.

Swarovski Crystal

The difference between crystal and glass is the much higher lead content of crystal with gives it superior clarity, sparkle and makes it much harder than glass. This allows it to be cut with more precise facets the same way that gemstones are cut.

Swarovski beads are made in a variety of shapes and can have up to 100 sharp-edged precision-cut facets. Swarovski is a fashion innovator, constantly working with top names and designers, sponsoring contests and remaining on the cutting edge of the industry. They are known for the high quality and standardization of their products which means that you can match colors even if you bought some of the beads years ago.

Czech Drops

Czech fire-polished beads are glass beads made in the Czech Republic with machine-cut facets that have been heated, or fire-polished, so that they are slightly rounded and very sparkly. Fire-polish is a generic term for a type of bead so there are many manufacturers both large and small in the Czech Republic. This makes for a wide and ever changing variety of colors, finishes and styles but it also means that finding more of a very specific color combination you bought before will be very difficult if not impossible.

Czech Fire-polished beads

Q: How are Czech glass beads made?

A: Bead manufacturers all over the world are secretive about the methods and equipment they use so it is impossible to know the details of the process. In general, Czech pressed glass beads are made in the Czech Republic from large rods of colored glass. The molten glass is pressed into molds of various shapes and sizes, with a needle forming the hole. Fire-polished beads are made from round pressed glass druk beads which are then cut with rough facets and then heated in giant ovens to soften the shape and add luster and sparkle.

There are a variety of common Czech glass bead shapes that you will come across and we carry all of them such as the very popular dagger bead, drop, table-cut, leaf and trumpet flower as well as many, many more.

How to Use Tangerine Tango, the Color of the Year for 2012

 

Pantone, the international color authority, has just announced the color of the year for 2012: Tangerine Tango. This vivacious and appealing reddish orange is meant to provide a sense of zest and vigor to pull through difficult times. Tangerine Tango is a color with a lot of depth, marrying the heart pounding rush of red with the warmth and vibrancy of yellow to create a magnetic color of boundless energy and sparkle.

An eye catching shade, Tangerine Tango is poised to become incorporated into a number of high fashion lines for the spring and summer and likely to transition well into fall, the traditional domain of orange hues. It will also be popping up in cosmetics as well as in interior and home design.

Because too much of the shade can be overwhelming, Tangerine Tango works well in combination with other shades such as blues, greens and browns or as an accent color which is why it is the perfect shade for accessories, especially jewelry. Something as simple as a lively orange necklace will breathe life into a tired outfit, bringing modern sophistication and adding energy and sparkle. Several well placed orange accessories have the power to make you shine in 2012 so take advantage!

In Swarovski crystals, you will find a range of gorgeous shades of orange that can be used independently or in combination to create that Tangerine Tango effect. Colors such as Padparadscha, Sun, Fire Opal and Hyacinth turn up the heat with their unrelenting vibrancy and are perfect for accessories such as earrings, necklaces and bracelets and work as a beautiful counterpoint to a darker outfit in, for example, navy blue or black. You can also check out our selection of special coatings, especially Chili Pepper, for an exciting and hard to find take on that fabulous orange glow.

 For even more color, finish, style and shape options Czech beads are unbeatable. High quality, unique and absolutely gorgeous, both the Czech Firepolish as well as the pressed glass beads come in some stunning shades that any fashionista would be proud to wear. Browse through our ever changing selection to see what dazzling new shades will catch your eye!

Swarovski Bicones in Hyacinth

Swarovski Announces Winners of the Urban Beautiful 2011 European Design Competition

The winner and two runners-up of the Swarovski 2011 URBAN BEAUTIFUL European Design Competition have been announced! From hundreds of entries, 20 semi-finalists were chosen whose designs were displayed at Treasure during London Jewelry Week. The jury panel made up of Annabel Sykes, Director for I-Beads, Laura Brocklebank of Swarovski, Designer Andy Farrow and Della Tinsley co- Director of London Jewelry Week, then convened at Swarovski head offices to choose the top three finalists. This year’s theme was based on the inspiring and powerful urban jungle. Using bold, large crystals in mesmerizing combinations of geometric forms, designs blended into the slick city architecture and created a unique avant-garde style.

Congratulations to Guzel Bakeeva on her winning design: Flavour of the Night. And also congratulations to Babett Császár and Aria Campbell-Kelly for their second and third place designs!

My favorite part about these design competitions is seeing the amazing creativity, talent and craft that goes into each and every design and getting inspired by all the sparkling Swarovski beauty! Check out the winning designs and what the designers had to say about them below!

1^st Place: Flavour of the Night

By Guzel Bakeeva, Russia

 

“When my pencil sketched drawings of this necklace, I imagined the dynamics of the urban night, the movement of vehicles, stormy life of bars and restaurants, over all this deep blue sky and a soft glow of orange lights. I created a necklace-brooch, necklace-transformer, that can be worn as a necklace perfectly for an evening dress, and as a brooch on her shoulder epaulets, that can be worn on a jacket. All details of the necklace are provided with pins, that allow a woman to feel comfortable even at the disco.”

Bakeeva made extensive use of 4mm, 6mm and 8mm Bicones and many different Swarovski crystal pendants in shades such as Crystal Red Magma, Crystal Silver Night, Amethyst and Heliotrope.

The jury panel was won over by Bakeeva’s use of Swarovski Elements and chains to create a striking and original piece that can be used in a variety of different ways – as a necklace, brooch or epaulette.

2^nd Place: A Night with Squares

By Babett Császár, Hungary

 

“I was inspired by Swarovski cubes and squares and the modern asymmetric forms with night city lights. I tried to compose the infinite-seeming possible varieties in one single creation.”

She used 3mm and 4mm Swarovski Bicones, in Indicolite Satin, Indian Sapphire, Jet, Iris Green, and Swarovski Crystal Frames in Crystal Vitrail Medium and Jet.

The panel felt that Császár’s beautifully detailed necklace was incredibly crafted together, showing immense creativity in the use of Swarovski Elements and seed beads.

3^rd Place: Two-Forty Five

By Aria Campbell-Kelly, Canada 

 

“The idea behind the necklace I designed for the Urban Beautiful Competition was to create something with an urban modern elegance. To me the prismatic shades of blue, black and gray are the colors of a night time lens flare, enhancing all the different colors in a single spot of light yet in the family of a vision.”

Campbell-Kelly made extensive use of Dark Indigo, Black Diamond, Jet and Crystal Silver Shade to create her beautiful architectural necklace. Her design, with its use of bold Swarovski Element pendants, impressed the jury panel with its structured, modern elegance.

There were twenty semi-finalists and I’ve listed some of my favorite here, for some more sparkle inspiration!

 

City Lights by Frann Healey, UK

Using Rose, Fuchsia, Fireopal, Colorado Topaz, Amethyst and Chilli Pepper AB Bicones and extensive use of Volcano flatbacks and pendants to evoke eras of British history where modern meets classic.

 

Lacittapiubrillantedelmondo by Chantal Stalder, Switzerland

Using Crystal Silver Shade, Dark Indigo, Metallic Blue, Montana and Montana AB extensively, Stalder imagined a modern crystallized city for her necklace.

 

Macadam traffic by Clotet Maria, France

This necklace was made using mainly Swarovski Bicones in 4mm and 6mm in colors such as Light Azore, Light Sapphire, Caribbean Blue Opal, Sapphire, Capri Blue, Pacific Opal, Aquamarine, Indian Sapphire, Metallic Blue, Blue Zircon, Montana, Star Shine, Volcano, Jet, Black Diamond, Crystal, Comet Argent, Alabaster, Morion , Ruby, Citrine, Light Siam, Siam, Sun, Red topaz, Fireopal, Topaz and Jonquil.