Making Jewelry with Gemstone Beads Kindle Edition

The book's content is a solid five and the text is clear, I borrowed a copy from the local library and the text in that looked like it had printed strangely, like the letters were starting to become a double image making it unpleasant to read causing me to check out the Kindle version. In the Kindle version some of the photos of the jewelery, especially the amber droplets necklace are small and the print in some of the sidebars is small and difficult to read thus loosing half a star in the rating. I'm still glad to have this in Kindle version, I can pull it up on my laptop and not have to worry about trying to prop a book open while following instructions. I don't plan on making the projects exactly as shown in the book but use the book for referance and inspiration with the beads I already have.

Author Barbara Case brings out the beauty of selected gemstones (my favorites to use in my own work) by using beads of vaious sizes, shapes, and types and the book images reflect that. However, the dangles are all laid out (spread apart) to see their components - great, I grant you - but I would have liked to see how they actually look when hung around a neck for that will show the true appeal of the dangles. So good images reflect the beading design, yet in terms of how it may look around your neck is another matter.The chart on pages 10 and 11 is a plus as many 'common' stones (wish more were included) are systematically categorized into the typical sizes of round beads, other common shapes seen in the stone type (important as some stones are not cut in specific ways due to the chemical and structural composition), the relative costs of these stones (from very low to very high -- allows for jewelry designers to better evaluate a sale price if an item is sold and/or giving one an idea as to what they can expect to spend if they wanted to use such a stone in their personal designs), placing the gemstone into the birthstone category, and lastly the various attributes often associated with each stone (e.g. LAPIS = wisdon, truth, awareness and JADE = protection on journeys, luck). Additional information can be gathered on the various stones (e.g. hardness/softness of the stone and recommendations on how to properly utilize it - e.g. some stones are 'softer' than others) in the descriptions on various stones along with designs in the second part of the book -- wish this information would have been in the chart, too. This would come in handy and if such information is all tabled together, it would make a great "mini-poster" to the gemstone designer.Maybe I missed it, but one of the greatest pieces of information when working with gemstones is the weight of some of the stones. This is really important when designing a piece, especially earrings. Also it is important when determing the type of wire, cord, thread to use when designing, for you don't want the necklace to fall apart if the stringing material does not work well with the type of stone used.So the good things - amazing images of the stones and design projects (some of the designs are very different from those seen in other books, which is always a plus when one wants to get out of a design rut), recommendations/tips, tidbits of historical facts regarding the stones and their 'mystical' or 'cultural' value, ranking of difficulty for nearly every design shown, and the decent chart made it a great reference chart. The bad things - lack of info regarding weight of some stones, not including newer products available (published in 2007 so one would have expected a few of the newer innovations to improve jewelry designs e.g. wire guardians), my personal desire to see how the design looked when hung on the neck or ear, and a wish that more of the gemstones used today were included. Therefore, with this being said I would have given the book a 3.5 star rating, but the images pushed it up to a solid 4 in comparison to other like books. I would also recommend this book to BEGINNERS (and even though some designs are ranked above 5, beginners can still do these as the images really provide clarity on how the piece is put together) and TO INTERMEDIATE jewelry designers.

This is a very good introduction to gemstones for beginners. The description of various stones is well-laid out, easy to take in, and the visuals are eye-pleasing. The designs chosen for each piece are gorgeous, and, although some of them are definitely not for complete beginners, are nevertheless described clearly and thoroughly. Ideas in each design, once picked apart and understood, are fun and easy to implement in one's designs. The findings for each piece are easy to replace with more expensive ones, if so desired--but clearly the author didn't wish to discourage beginners with the price of vermeil or sterling silver. Recommending for those past the total beginner stage who want to expand their range beyond basic stringing.

This book is amazing! I usually don't buy used books online, but I really wanted this one after seeing a portion of the inside. I was not disappointed in the least bit! Beautiful images, easy to follow directions. You can easily make your own jewelry just by looking at the pictures. Great ideas and inspiration. And I love the images and descriptions of the different gemstones. Love, love, love! Thank you!

This is a beautiful book that is fun to read and browse through. I', disappointed that there is not more useful information about the gems - like the hardness and durability, and how to use them most effectively with that in mind, maybe color variations, etc. It is more about traditions and superstitions and the author's talent. Beautiful photography and artwork, but not much helpful information.

Exactly as pictured and described. Arrived very quickly. Thanks for the great service.

Has a lot of designs to choose from.

Sis-in-law likes making jewelry from good quality gemstone beads. Gave this book to her for Christmas and she was very pleased. The book is a nice size and has lots of good photos and instructions. Proud to give as a gift.

This is one jewellery making book that I return to time and again for inspiration. How to make a wide variety of styles of jewellery from various types snd sizes of semi precious stone beads is covered in this book.The book does contain sections on materials, tools and equipment and basic techniques which are artfully illustrated, I would however say that if you were a beginner you may need additional demonstration in techniques which could easily be found by looking for videos online e.g YouTube.I love the format of this book, the history and healing properties of each stone is covered, along with a picture of an item you could make. The 'ingredients' for each make is listed along with step by step details and information on techniques where applicable.Although the book does not specify where to buy the beads listed, there is enough information provided in the ingredients lists so that you could easily search for and source the beads online if you wanted to make the items exactly as described in the book.Personally I have used this book more as an inspiration station. I have created designs similar to but not exactly the same as the makes in this book as I enjoy designing my own items. Most of the designs in this book are very modern and I can imagine them being sold in high end shops.

I had this book for Christmas and it is without a doubt the best beading book I have read. I could not put it down for days. The projects are clearly set out with 'ingredients' rather than materials, the photography is very clear and there is an 'introduction' to the gemstone being used in the project before commencing. It gives very good value for money as there are a lot of designs in the book. I would say that it's not a book for complete beginners as some of the projects rely on the photographs for instruction and assumes you know 'how to', although there is an instruction part at the begining. I love all the pieces, some have a distinctly modern look, but also some classics are included and I have many plans to make my own interpretations. This is the first Barbara Case book I've read and I hope the others are just as good.

I decided to buy this book from amazon because it is way cheaper than in craft stores and the like. It is a beautifully presented book, so is a great idea to give as a gift for both beginners and experienced beaders alike.It mainly covers the types of semi precious beads available such as amethyst and amber, and their qualities to the wearer, so content such as this would appeal even more to those interested in the spiritual side of jewellery. There are clear instructions on how to make pieces using the beads interspersed with the main pages. The photos of the raw materials and finished pieces are beautiful so this would make a nice coffee table book too!

I bought this book because of previous good reviews and must now add to them. The book is full of very clear photographs and interesting information about all the gemstones I know and many I didn't know even existed. A visiting friend was so engrossed with the book that she didn't speak for at least an hour - if you knew her, you'd understand what an impact the book must have had!I can fully recommend the book for anyone even remotely interested in gemstones and beads, it's a mine of information.

Looking forward to using