July 7, 2010

Cheap and Plentiful Glass Gems

Natural gemstones, like ruby gems, can cost a lot of money. Diamond jewelry can easily cost ten thousand dollars, but such gemstones are still revered for their exceptional beauty. Some gems like amethysts and aquamarines might not cost nearly as much, but they aren’t nearly as beautiful either to most people. If you want all the beauty of real gemstones at a mere fraction of the price, consider going with glass gems instead. You’ll have a much wider selection of colors and patterns to choose from, and you can use them in a much wider number of roles as well. They are an economical alternative to going with the real deal, just like silver plating and wood veneer furniture.




Their Many Uses

Glass gems are fantastic for use in a number of roles. Colored glass can be molded to mimic stones for an aquarium or games like mancala. Glass gems can also be used to add extra decorations to shirts, vests, hats, sweaters, and other crafts. Of course, they also have a limited capacity to be used in jewelry, although you will be hard pressed to see them in the form of traditional jewelry that you might purchase at the store. Instead, you’ll find them in much more abundance in craft and trade shows by hobbyists who like to make jewelry on the side instead of as their living.

Not only can they fulfill a variety of roles, but glass gems are strong, long lasting, and cheap. Even if you do break them, they hardly cost anything to replace. Compare that to dropping an engagement ring down the sink and the benefits quickly become apparent. Without a doubt, glass gems are a safe, economical, and beautiful alternative to real gemstone jewelry and decorations. You’ll never have a lack of them, and they’re sold by most craft supply retailers and distributors.

Because they are so cheap and plentiful, feel free to experiment with them as well. If you mess up crafts while using glass gems, it’s easy to just pick up new ones and start over again. You could never say the same thing if you were using gemstones like amethysts. Although relatively cheap compared to other gems, amethysts would still be too expensive for most crafts. As a result, true gemstones are rarely used, if ever, on normal crafts, instead being reserved for the most expensive and luxurious decorations on the market. Without a doubt, glass gems are a crafter’s dream come true.

Filed under Jewelry by vicbils

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