I'm curious...are there particular beads or findings that you feel a loyalty to? I am asking this question because I had a few moments of feeling some disloyalty when I purchased these aqua and lime bicone beads at the craft store.
It's not that I haven't purchased bicones that weren't Swarovski before, it was the fact that they were packaged in a way that makes you want to think they are crystals.
If you are a person who goes into a zombie-like haze when you are around crystals, you might make the mistake of thinking these are crystals.
So, after a week of thinking on this, I have come to the conclusion that these are great glass bicones in fun colors. Going into the deal with that knowledge that you are not working with crystals makes all the difference in the world to me and my "feelings".
These are really great colors and very nice glass bicones that I am excited to use! If I must have crystal sparkle in a design, then I must have Swarovski or a glass bead that has a crystal cut. It all makes sense to me now that a little time has passed.
Thoughts?
6 comments:
I agree - it probably felt like they were trying to trick you. But they didn't trick you, so now you can just enjoy your bicones. Enjoy!
I sometimes feel like that, but when I'm creating, a bead becomes a bead, necessary for that design. Perhaps it is the color I need or just a shape, but the bead becomes the issue, not so much the brand or material.
Plus, in this economy a deal is a deal. I have some of my mom's old costume jewelry and some of her real things. I love them all equally, just for the beauty of them.
Actually a bead is a bead is a bead to me. I feel free to liberally mix in my cut glass with my crystals, my lower priced pieces with my high end. I am just careful to represent it correctly (i.e., not calling something Swarovski if it has no claim to it). I am usually looking for just the right shape, shade, texture or color and it doesn't much matter to me if it has a label or if it came from some old broken piece of jewelry that I have reclaimed. Great thoughts! Enjoy the day! Erin
Lisa, I feel that as long as it isn't misrepresented as the "other" then it is okay to not feel so guilty. Heck, I use anything for a bead & have even bought an old purse to rip it apart for the beads on it. Okay, I confess that the purse was way beyond rejuvenating. For me the color and the shapes mean more in my work.
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I don't tell the recipients something is Swarovski when it's not. I believe that as amazing Swarovski is--sometimes you can't find the exact color you need. *shrugs* Then beads are simply beads--although I'm partial to certain stones and colors...beads are beads and all are meant to be enjoyed!
There are going to be customers that want nothing BUT Swarovski and Sterling. There are going to be customers that want the LOOK and Swarovski and Sterling, but like a lower price tag. As long as YOU aren't being fooled by the vendor you buy it from - and in turn aren't trying to fool your customers - I say do some with both. The thing I'm seeing at alot of shows these days are the less expensive version of the bicones - they're still glass, they're still sparkly (but somewhat metallic) and way, way cheaper than Swarovski. I still have enough customer that INSIST on Swarovski, so I haven't offered them to my customers - YET.
Have fun with them! Show us what you do!
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