REPOST: Funky Bead Tips

FAB tips, Kathy! I too hate it when beads come to me all dirty and gross,
so I often wash them as well.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

======================
As you may know, it is illegal to sell or purchase ivory in the US, unless
it
can be documented that the ivory is over 100 years old. So fossilized
ivory
is safe, but most elephant ivory is off limits. Bone has mostly taken
ivory's place as an acceptable substitute. I'm okay with bone, because
bone
beads are largely a by-product of animals used for food. I have a real
problem with elephant or whale ivory, because the animals are endangered
and
because these animals are killed simply for their bone and teeth.

Anyway, bone beads often come from India, and are rather filthy and
discolored when they get to my house. I've found a way to get them to a
nice, off-white with a minimum of fuss.

The secret is denture cleaner. My daughter uses denture soak tablets to
clean her retainer, so we had them around the house. I figured that bone
and
teeth and ivory are all about the same substance, so I decided to give it
a
try.

An overnight soak in denture cleaner left the bone pieces smooth,
sparkling
clean, and a lovely off-white. If you're looking for a darker color, an
overnight soak in strong black tea works wonders.

---------------

I decided to try the denture cleaner treatment on some carved jade
pendants I
had kicking around, just to see what might happen. Interestingly, it
wasn't
the same as with bone.

The "jade" pendants came clean, with all the dirt and scrunge coming out
of
the carving (which is what I wanted). However one of the pendants faded
from
a deep green to white with some red blotches, revealing an obviously
inferior
dye job. Another green jade pendant came out clean and remained the
lovely
green color.

----------------

Carved beads that are rather boring looking can be improved with a
metallic
wax treatment. One such wax is called "Rub and Buff" and can be found in
hardware and craft stores for very little money. Use the teeniest amount
possible and use a fingertip to rub the substance rather evenly over the
bead. Wait a little bit for the wax to harden (maybe 5 minutes), then
wipe
off the excess with a paper towel or cloth.

Adds a lot of interest and some much needed glimmer to muddy looking brown
beads. I used it on a boring brown stone butterfly, and the thing looks
great. Rub and Buff comes in about a dozen shades of gold and silver, and
I've found that the antiqued gold shades set off the stones the best.

-----------------

Vermeil and gold plated beads, while not ideal, can be used in limited
circumstances. If you use such beads as spacers, with larger beads on
either
side, skin oils and rubbing are unlikely to experience wear and look like
crud in no time. This scheme can also be used to hold certain metals away
from the skin to prevent irritation (nickel is a well known allergen, and
is
often found in base metal beads). I use all these kinds of beads in
give-away bracelets, due to cost constraints.

-------------

Beads are often filthy when you buy them. I've found that many of my
beads
look a zillion times better when I give them a little bath before working
with them. Don't laugh, but my favorite bead cleaning substance is Doc
Bronner's Peppermint Hemp Soap. Doc Bronner was a whacked out old dude,
but
his soap works great, and we always have some in the house. The soap cuts
through the packing grease and schmutz, without stripping A/B coating or
certain wax treatments on the beads.

If my beads are on strings, I just give them a swish in warm, soapy water,
and let them dry on a paper towel. If they're loose, they get a wash in a
strainer I bought at the dollar store and then get a paper towel drying.
In
almost every case, the glitter and finish are greatly enhanced when the
beads
are cleaned.

BTW, the exceptions to this rule are the artist beads I've bought from
lampworkers and polymer clay beaders here in the group. Those beads
always
come to me looking like they've been cleaned to within an inch of their
lives.

-------------

Howlite beads are often sold as a cheap substitute to turquoise, but I've
found a way to make their porous nature work for me. I can buy cheap
strands
of howlite for well under a dollar and dye them myself. So far, I've used
unsweetened Kool-Aid, food coloring and clothing dye, and all have worked
perfectly. I don't try to fool anyone that these things are other stones,
and have been able to make lurid colors not found anywhere in nature.

After the beads have soaked in the dye substance overnight and dried, I
give
them a dip in Future floor polish (while still on their temporary strands)
to
seal the color. Voila! cool colors that the kids like, at a price that I
like, too.

Hope these odd little hints help a bit,

Kathy N-V

FAB tips, Kathy! I too hate it when beads come to me all dirty and gross,
so I often wash them as well.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

======================
As you may know, it is illegal to sell or purchase ivory in the US, unless
it
can be documented that the ivory is over 100 years old. So fossilized
ivory
is safe, but most elephant ivory is off limits. Bone has mostly taken
ivory's place as an acceptable substitute. I'm okay with bone, because
bone
beads are largely a by-product of animals used for food. I have a real
problem with elephant or whale ivory, because the animals are endangered
and
because these animals are killed simply for their bone and teeth.

Anyway, bone beads often come from India, and are rather filthy and
discolored when they get to my house. I've found a way to get them to a
nice, off-white with a minimum of fuss.

The secret is denture cleaner. My daughter uses denture soak tablets to
clean her retainer, so we had them around the house. I figured that bone
and
teeth and ivory are all about the same substance, so I decided to give it
a
try.

An overnight soak in denture cleaner left the bone pieces smooth,
sparkling
clean, and a lovely off-white. If you're looking for a darker color, an
overnight soak in strong black tea works wonders.

---------------

I decided to try the denture cleaner treatment on some carved jade
pendants I
had kicking around, just to see what might happen. Interestingly, it
wasn't
the same as with bone.

The "jade" pendants came clean, with all the dirt and scrunge coming out
of
the carving (which is what I wanted). However one of the pendants faded
from
a deep green to white with some red blotches, revealing an obviously
inferior
dye job. Another green jade pendant came out clean and remained the
lovely
green color.

----------------

Carved beads that are rather boring looking can be improved with a
metallic
wax treatment. One such wax is called "Rub and Buff" and can be found in
hardware and craft stores for very little money. Use the teeniest amount
possible and use a fingertip to rub the substance rather evenly over the
bead. Wait a little bit for the wax to harden (maybe 5 minutes), then
wipe
off the excess with a paper towel or cloth.

Adds a lot of interest and some much needed glimmer to muddy looking brown
beads. I used it on a boring brown stone butterfly, and the thing looks
great. Rub and Buff comes in about a dozen shades of gold and silver, and
I've found that the antiqued gold shades set off the stones the best.

-----------------

Vermeil and gold plated beads, while not ideal, can be used in limited
circumstances. If you use such beads as spacers, with larger beads on
either
side, skin oils and rubbing are unlikely to experience wear and look like
crud in no time. This scheme can also be used to hold certain metals away
from the skin to prevent irritation (nickel is a well known allergen, and
is
often found in base metal beads). I use all these kinds of beads in
give-away bracelets, due to cost constraints.

-------------

Beads are often filthy when you buy them. I've found that many of my
beads
look a zillion times better when I give them a little bath before working
with them. Don't laugh, but my favorite bead cleaning substance is Doc
Bronner's Peppermint Hemp Soap. Doc Bronner was a whacked out old dude,
but
his soap works great, and we always have some in the house. The soap cuts
through the packing grease and schmutz, without stripping A/B coating or
certain wax treatments on the beads.

If my beads are on strings, I just give them a swish in warm, soapy water,
and let them dry on a paper towel. If they're loose, they get a wash in a
strainer I bought at the dollar store and then get a paper towel drying.
In
almost every case, the glitter and finish are greatly enhanced when the
beads
are cleaned.

BTW, the exceptions to this rule are the artist beads I've bought from
lampworkers and polymer clay beaders here in the group. Those beads
always
come to me looking like they've been cleaned to within an inch of their
lives.

-------------

Howlite beads are often sold as a cheap substitute to turquoise, but I've
found a way to make their porous nature work for me. I can buy cheap
strands
of howlite for well under a dollar and dye them myself. So far, I've used
unsweetened Kool-Aid, food coloring and clothing dye, and all have worked
perfectly. I don't try to fool anyone that these things are other stones,
and have been able to make lurid colors not found anywhere in nature.

After the beads have soaked in the dye substance overnight and dried, I
give
them a dip in Future floor polish (while still on their temporary strands)
to
seal the color. Voila! cool colors that the kids like, at a price that I
like, too.

Hope these odd little hints help a bit,

Kathy N-V