What Are Bling Beads?
Bling beads are just like the term sounds: beaded necklaces, earrings and bracelets made from metal and glass that catch light to create a shiny and glimmery effect. Does this Spark an idea?
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What Are They
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Bling beads are the newest craze in fashion accessories. Young and old people alike enjoy them for their versatility, appeal and unique look. Bling beads enable the wearer to have a piece of jewelry unlike any other, and these unique pieces are affordable.
Types of Bling Beads
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The average bling bead creation is a mixture of glass and metal beads. The metals beads can be sterling silver, gold or silver plated, various weights of gold, titanium or just about any other metal. The beads themselves vary, and include seed beads, pillow beads, charms, bugle beads and decorative spacer beads. Seed beads are the smallest of the beads, and they are the most common. Pillow beads generally have a square or rectangle shape, and they add bulk and shine to a piece. Bugle beads are long and cylindrical; and spacer beads feature a wider width and often look like small flowers, stars or rings. These different-size beads give jewelry a unique design, and the shapes of the beads make an accessory into a work of art.
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Name and Style
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Specifically, bling beads get their name from their visual appeal. They have a shine and sparkle to them, and these necklaces, bracelets and earrings give the wearer the same kind of sparkle that gold and silver jewelry can. While bling beads do not cost nearly as much money as diamond pendants and platinum bracelets, their unique look and styling makes them appealing to the wealthy and non-wealthy alike. Gold and red beads can be threaded together to make a piece look festive, like for the Christmas holiday season; adding orange beads to the mix can transform the piece into a fall accessory.
Yet, the most appealing avenue of these jewelry designs is that they catch light, the eye and the imagination.
Wearing Them
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Beaded jewelry can be worn in the day or evening. A beaded necklace with a sundress can make the outfit look more breezy, casual and summery. In contrast, a black-and-silver necklace paired with a cardigan and slacks transform a work outfit into evening wear. Most importantly, the bling of these designs does not come from their gold weight or diamond karats. Instead, natural light catches the glass and metal to help the item sparkle.
Who Wears and Buying
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Bling bead styles can be purchased at any boutique or independent designer store; or you can buy beads to make your own jewelry, or take beads to a store to have them created into a piece. And, just to prove that these pieces really are popular, celebs like Kate Hudson and Halle Berry have worn beaded jewelry to red-carpet events. Even the First Lady, Michelle Obama, has worn beaded necklaces to state dinners (in June 2009 she wore a vintage faux pearl necklace to a state affair).
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