Home / Beads / Beader's Glossary

This is the place to find out what a Peridot or a Labradorite is. There are over 80 bead-related terms for you to browse.

Note: Some of the definitions and descriptions used here are copyright 1995 by Ornamental Resources, Incorporated. We are grateful for their permission to quote from their catalog to create this feature. This information may not be reproduced or distributed for financial gain or included in commercial collections or compilations without express permission from Ornamental Resources, Inc., P.O. Box 3010WW, Idaho Springs CO 80452. Visitors are permitted to print out this section for personal use only.

ALL | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Labradorite is a grayish almost opaque form of feldspar with flashes of blue, green, and/or yellow visible at certain angles. It was first discovered on the Canadian peninsula of Labrador in 1770. It shows irridescent color (labradorescence) in lustrous metallic tints, often blue and green, though rare specimens with the complete spectrum are very valuable. There are deposits in Canada (Labrador, Newfoundland), also in the Malagasy Republic, Mexico, Russia and the US.

Handmade glass beads made by manipulating slender glass rods in front of a gas burner.

A favorite and sacred stone of the Egyptians, the deep night-sky blue lapis is one of the most ancient stones fashioned for human adornment. A sacred stone among many peoples, powdered lapis was used to create the pigment in the ultramarine blue paint favored by the masters of classical art. The name is believed to be a combination of the Latin lapis for stone and azul which is Arabic for blue. Lapis is believed to be the stone of honesty and friendship.

Thin tubular beads, straight or twisted, approximately 1/16" x 1/4" long, silver or gold plated.