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Jet (lignite or gagat) is not considered a true mineral, but rather a mineraloid as it has an organic origin, being derived from decaying wood under extreme pressure. The English noun "jet" derives from the French word for the same material: JAIET. Jet is either black or dark brown, but may contain pyrite inclusions, which are of brassy color and metallic luster. The adjective "jet-black", meaning as dark a black as possible, derives from this material.

Jet is a product of high pressure decomposition of wood from millions of years ago, commonly the wood of trees of the family Araucariaceae. The jet found at Whitby, England is of early Jurassic (Toarcian) age, approximately 182 million years old. Jet is easily polished and is used in manufacturing jewelry, according to the Whitby Museum, dating from 10,000 BC in parts of Germany.

The oldest jet jewelry was found in Asturias, Spain, dating from 17,000 BC. Whitby jet was a favorite material for ornamental jewelry during the Roman period, when it was described by Solinus. Hair-pins, rings, spindles, bracelets, and necklaces were produced in great variety, much of it at Eburacum (modern York).

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In the Roman period jet was frequently used as a "magical" material in amulets and pendants because of its supposed protective qualities and ability to deflect the gaze of the evil eye. Furthermore, Pliny the Elder suggests that "the kindling of jet drives off snakes and relieves suffocation of the uterus. Its fumes detect attempts to stimulate a disabling illness or a state of virginity."

Jet as a gemstone was fashionable during the reign of Queen Victoria, during which the Queen wore Whitby jet as part of her mourning dress. Jet was associated with mourning jewelry in the 19th century because of its somber color and modest appearance, and it has been traditionally fashioned into rosaries for monks.

In the United States, long necklaces of jet beads were very popular during the 1920s, or Roaring Twenties, when women and young flappers would wear multiple strands of jet beads stretching from the neckline to the waistline. In these necklaces, the jet was strung using heavy cotton thread; small knots were made on either side of each bead to keep the beads spaced evenly, much in the same way that fine pearl necklaces are made. Jet has also been known as black amber, as it may induce an electric charge like that of amber when rubbed.

We are glad to introduce you Marsha Wiest-Hines, a beadwork artist living and working in Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA. Personal adornment and expression of character through clothing has been her life-long interest, she has been creating wearable art for 40 years in the form of theatrical costumes for the stage, competition clothing for ballroom dancers, and most recently, art jewelry and accessories. In 2007 Marsha discovered bead weaving and fell immediately in love.

Marsha says, "I began beading in 2007, when a friend gave me a strung bracelet for my birthday. My wrist is ridiculously small, and the bracelet was very big. I thought, how hard can it be to make it smaller? I went to the bookstore, to find a book to tell me how to adjust the size of the bracelet and next to "Beading for Dummies" there was "500 Beaded Objects." I fell instantly in love and knew I wanted to DO THAT!

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Beading is a creative outlet/hobby/meditation for me, although I do sell my work. I have an Etsy shop and have sold through several local galleries, my favorite being Minnetonka Center for the Arts, where I currently am selling some of my work in their Arts of the Holidays show.

This was one of my very first efforts, done as a color study and an exploration of the bead textures and finishes. I was very proud of working out the little violet flower and leaf for myself. I have used this leaf technique in my "Mom's African Violets", with some refinement ever since! For example, this leaf uses the same technique, although somewhat refined by the addition of cylinder beads to the seeds ("The Last Leaf").

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I find myself a competitive person by nature, and some of my favorite work has been created with a competition in mind. This was my first effort at an entry to the Bead Dreams competition, and one of my all time favorites. Needless to say, I have never managed to get an entry accepted at Bead Dreams! I sold this piece ("Sticks and Stones") and I miss it!

I became a member of the Etsy Beadweavers Team just as I was making "Sticks & Stones" and several of my other favorite pieces were created for the team challenges. This Bollywood Beauty Necklace won our Bollywood Challenge last year, and this necklace "Ash and Ember - the Balrog" won the Lord of the Rings Challenge last spring.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with fellow beadweaver and lampworker Hannah Rosner. I won a competition through "One Stop Bead Shop" that required the use of some of her beads, which I thought were beautiful and inspiring (INK Necklace)!"

Full article by Marsha Wiest-Hines
 
Beadwork by Marsha Wiest-Hines
 
Email: madetomove2@aol.com
 
Website: www.made4movement.com
 
Blog: hauteicebeadworks.blogspot.com
 
Etsy Shop: etsy.com/shop/HauteIceBeadwork

It's a pleasure to have another bead artist, Orna Voloh from Israel in our newsletter! Orna was born in a small town in the Urals, Russia. When she was 20 years old she learned RAW stitch weaving, it was the beginning of her bead career. She has been beading for eight years and then had a big break. Fate decreed that now Orna lives in Israel, in the city of Petah-Tikva. Here she got married, and while "expecting" her daughter a few years ago, she regained inspiration.

Orna tells, "In the ninetieth there was no Internet and beads in the shops, too, but my friends discovered that I "knew how to weave beads" and carried me already torn and useless beaded necklaces, one could bring a little bit, another - a bit more! I was happy to each such a thing as to a heap of countless treasures, and enthusiastically wove. Tiny beads had an incredible ability to form a pattern, each of which received a special meaning in my eyes and the eyes of my friends - in fact, beads still returned to my "sponsors" - as unpretentious trinkets.

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I did not know then how to weave according to the "bead science," I couldn't learn from anyone because there were not teachers and any classes. I invented everything by myself - stitches, patterns, etc. I dealt with what can be called "reinventing the wheel", and now I use my developments of that period, which lasted eight years. I dedicated five years to work with children teaching them what was already known to me and what I could make, and then I had a big break.

Fate decreed that I live in Israel, in the city of Petah-Tikva. Here I got married, and while "waiting" for my daughter, I regained inspiration. I saw how much Internet allows for new beading ideas, and realized that I needed to go back to my youthful enthusiasm, especially because buying good materials in Israel was much easier than in Russia. I found out an entirely new world of beads, not what I had known about it before, moreover bead craft was on the rise. Over Internet, I met with beadworks of many great weavers who create masterpieces, and it was an additional impulse for me!

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I wanted to be just a little closer to their level! Though just a little! And then I found myself in almost complete inability to repeat someone else's work and most importantly to work according stranger's patterns! Perhaps, this is good as a whole, although the independent development of the already known techniques takes more time. Suddenly, from nowhere, in my mind the ideas of my fifteen years ago began to float, and they began to take a completely new form! This primarily affected the traditional techniques I owned and my old designs.

I understand that there are no limits in use of beads for creative people, and if there is some kind of an interesting idea, I will sooner or later find a way to implement it. When an idea of another beadwork takes me completely, I sit down and begin to draw a sketch and select materials thinking about embodiments of it and do not stop for a moment. Even in my sleep, I continue to work on the plan. Sometimes the end result is being hatched for months, and sometimes embodied within an hour from the moment an interesting thought flashed through my mind. And I do not know what it depends on!"

Full article by Orna Voloh
 
Beadwork by Orna Voloh
 
Email: snivlic@gmail.com
 
Blog: snivli.blogspot.com

Paisley or Paisley pattern is a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Indian, Pakistani and Persian origin. The pattern is sometimes called "Persian pickles" by American traditionalists, especially quiltmakers, or "Welsh pears" in Welsh textiles as far back as 1888. This tutorial "How to make beaded Paisley pattern" is prepared for you by Orna Voloh, you can use that in making any jewelry. Good luck!

Tutorial: Paisley pattern

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