B&B carries a range of Thai Karen Hill Tribe Silver, each piece lovingly created by hand by the silversmiths of the Karen Hill Tribes of Thailand.

This is silver of the purest quality and approx. 97-99% silver content (compared to 925 which is only 92.5%). This is NOT the bright and shiny 925 silver which has other metals added to it to brighten and harden it, THIS IS ALMOST PURE, UNADULARATED SILVER, and HANDCRAFTED. Thai Hill Tribe silver is BULKY and ETHNIC in general - do not purchase if you are looking for something fine and dainty. The whole process is done by hand or primitive (if any) machinery - from the actual mining itself to the creation of these gorgeous pieces.

These are collectors pieces as the traditional methods are giving way to the exploitation by large conglomerates who have built factories to mass produce Thai silver products - it IS NOT THE COMMERCIALLY, MASS-MANUFACTURED, FACTORY-MADE Thai Silver which has become available of late. These were purchased DIRECTLY from the silversmiths of the Karen Chiang Mai tribes, and as such VERY EXCLUSIVE and VERY UNIQUE.

By purchasing Hill Tribe HANDCRAFTED SILVER, not only are you purchasing a product that is exclusive and individually unique, you are also buying ethically and your purchase goes a long way towards supporting the impoverished Karen Hill Tribes and ensuring the continuation of a traditional craft that has existed for centuries and in danger of being overwhelmed by modern commerce. Plain and simple, your purchase helps to provide job opportunities for the youth of the Hill Tribes, allowing them to remain in their villages, earning enough to ensure their survival and the continuance of these skilled master silversmiths

Indian Glass Lampwork Beads

Indian Glass is furnace-fired (also called lampwork) and made by hand tools rather than moulded. Each bead is therefore unique and generally large in scale, mostly from 10-40mm hole to hole length, with pierced hole sizes measuring 2-4mm. 

The mandrel (or rod through the center which makes the hole and also used to "mount/hold" the bead in the heat) is usually made from iron as it cools down faster than the glass, allowing it to be removed as the glass starts to cool and settle in shape - this forms the hole through the bead. As a result of the release (removal) of the rod, the oxidised iron leaves a deposit of iron oxide on the inside of the bead hole. a grey residue, within the hole. This can mostly be washed off, or will disintigrate away gradually.

Finishers

Finishers are used to attach any other finding to a cord. The base of the finisher closes around the end of the cord and with the addition of a loop, either already part of the finisher or added in the form of a eye pin, providing you with a loop to which you can attach other findings such as a jump ring and clasp, or use it to attach other components.


CONE ENDS

Cone Ends are metal cones with openings at both ends - one side with a larger hole tapering down to a smaller opening at the opposite end. They are mostly used to either pull together multiple strands of stringing material or neatly end off very thick string or cord.  

Covering or capping off the design and inserting the multiple (or thick) stringing into the larger hole allows for the attachment of a single finding through the smaller hole to which the design can either be finished off, or continued with a single stringing material. 

• For example, a head pin with loop from which the design can either be continued from using a single string or cord, or to which the clasp can be attached.

They can also be used to create lovely tassles or neaten the design by hiding crimps and other ends.

Another use is as focal accentuators to highlight centre-piece beads on a beaded strand, or added along the length of a full strand by capping the bead between a cone on each side, placing the largest end of the cone against the bead.  Even placing the small tapering end of the cone against the bead allows for a unique and unusual design. 

Two cones glued together by the wider side can create lovely beads with a wider middle and tapering off to either side. 

Decorative cones look fantastic! A little imagination and experimentation goes a long way towards the most incredible creations using this highly versatile finding. 

CYLINDER ENDS

It is not always necessary to attach the pin directly to the cord/string. In fact, it is easier and quicker (and I find neater) to first attach the pin to the end (finishing the loop on the pin) and then using a good super glue to glue the cord/string inside the cylinder end.

Slotted cylinder ends are convenient to use as the "petals" can be prised slightly open to allow the cord/string to be easily inserted. The petals are then gently and carefully crimped together

If using cylinder ends for multiple chains, the chain links can be directly attached to the loop of an eyepin, then pulled through the bullet end and another loop made on the opposite side of the end to attach your clasp, etc

Tibetan Silver

TIBETAN SILVER % Actual real silver is minimal or non-existent.

The description "Tibetan Silver" is not an indication of the genuine silver-metal content of the product, rather a description of worldwide accepted trends and tendencies of the product. Actual metals and coatings used vary from item to item - higher priced products obviously being of better quality than lower-priced - it is the consumers decision to purchase according to the price-class they prefer)

Tibetan silver is primarily used as a coating in bead working and jewellery components and findings, and is similar to pewter - an alloy of copper, and sometimes tin or nickel, with a minimal or non-existent percentage of genuine silver. The nickel content however is nowadays reduced or absent due to common allergies to this metal. Some factors determining the quality of Tibetan silver, amongst others, are the thickness of the coating, the detailing in the coating, and whether or not additional coatings/plating of other metals have been added (either precious or non-precious)

 

Although there are discrepancies in what consumers tend to believe of tibetan silver, the fact remains ACTUAL SILVER CONTENT IS MINIMAL, do not get taken in by adverts of the article as "Real, or Genuine" there is no such thing! The name is JUST A DESCRIPTION, somewhat similar to a Brand Name and DOES NOT indicate what the product is actually made of (ie genuine silver) at all. Through my years of trading in Tibetan silver and information supplied by providers and other traders, these are the descriptions I personally prefer when advertising this product.

Tibetan Silver sold on Beads & Baubles, my online shopping portal, adheres to the worldwide accepted criteria for tibetan silver, is the actual product (albeit occasionally only applied as a coating or plating) and is highly popular. The better quality is attractive, thick and robust and if cared for correctly can have a good lifespan. If not further coated or plated with other precious or non-precious metal, the overall appearance of Tibetan Silver is of aged or antiqued silver, which can also be polished to provide exquisite highlights on complex or intricate castings.

TIBETAN SILVER CASTINGS

The type known as 'Castings' is the lower quality and tends to be a base iron or metal casting (also called cheese metal) and is actually usually not overlaid with tibetan silver coating or plating at all - however as it is close in appearance to tibetan silver it is usually accepted as such by industry and consumers. These are attractive but easily broken due to a loose, fragile inner casting and therefore only suitable for small castings up to around 12mm, or transient "fashion" jewellery with a short lifespan. An experienced trader can spot the difference very easily by the colour, weight and feel of the item. The overall appearance of castings is of aged silver tending to a somewhat 'grayish' dull colouring.

NICKEL SILVER marketed as Tibetan Silver.  Also called Cupronickel, Paktong Silver, White Copper, and Chinese Silver. Mistakenly called German Silver or Alpaca (which is a registered trademark)


Nickel Silver is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. All modern, commercially important nickel silvers contain significant amounts of zinc, and are sometimes considered a subset of brass. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver unless plated. Nickel Silver is VERY BRIGHT & HARD and despite its high copper and/or nickel content it is remarkably silver-coloured and sometimes marketed as imitation or faux 925 silver (being of the same colouring and similar hardness)

B&B supplies products produced from naturally occuring Nickel Silver originating from nickel mines in China and NOT German Silver (although the 2 being somewhat similar are sometimes confused). A common misimpression is that Paktong (Nickel) Silver is a pseudonym for German Silver, however this is not the case, nickel silver was known as a unique naturally occurring alloy by the Chinese as early as 120 BCE in Yunnan, and was likely a valuable internal trade commodity. It was only during importation of white copper from China in the 18th century by Europeans that it gained increased interest. Efforts to exactly copy PAKTONG SILVER failed due to the requisite complex mix of ores required to form it (later this was found to exist in the German district of Schneeburg) and it was only much later that German Silver was actually formed

CCB Beads

Beads, most commonly acrylic and plastic, coated with Nickel Silver (Cupronickel) are called CCB (Copper Coated Beads or Cupronickel Coated Beads) - and are silver in colour, not the usual copper colour as one would expect.  Cupronickel is a bright silver, despite its high copper content

Wiccan Channeling Rings: Symbolism of the Gold Ring

Adepts Level

• The gold ring is worn by priestess during important rites or initiation ceremony of new noviates. Please note that like all objects used in rites, this ring needs to undergo cleansing and blessing before use.

Wearing of the Gold Ring

• Represents the God, protection, attraction, and persuasion during initiation ceremonies (meaning the ceremony and the part performed by the priestess, not the noviate). 
• The ring is symbolically a focal to encourage or channel the necessary emotional thoughts and feelings from the priestess to the novitiate and other participants in the ritual, in other words, to invoke a general feeling of encouragement and willing participation.
• In a magickal sense, the symbolism behind the wearing of a Channeling Ring is to infuse you with power and energy and a strengthening of the attributes you wish to make use of, either in the casting of a spell, performing of a blessing, or even just the way you wish to “feel” mentally and spiritually. The magickal attributes and nature of the colours of the ring are determined by your visualization and belief. The attractiveness of a ring, or its material value, are of little importance in magick.

Symbolism of a Ring

• The Ring is a traditional symbol of infinity or eternity, the transposition of magick into the tangible, real world.

Symbolism of the Circle (ie the shape of the ring)

• The circle is the expression of perfection and equality in all directions. The circle has always been regarded as a symbol of eternity. Without beginning and without end it stands outside time and thus cannot be influenced by external forces and thus also symbolises choice, free will and belief.
• An unadorned ring forms a perfect circle, with the magick revolving continuously without attachments to channel the power away from the wearer, instead binding the power within the circle, in other words towards and in to the wearer.

Symbolism of the Gold (Colour) of the Ring

• The gold (colour) signifies the sun, male energy, wealth, financial wisdom, conscious mind, attracting happiness, activity, intelligence.
• Planet: Sun
• Day: Sunday
• Astrological Sign: Leo
• Deity: Apollo and other Sun Gods