ephemerala
August 20 - September 2, 2007
New Items
New Chip Bracelets
We've added a few new stone types to our Chip Bracelet
collection. Now you can also choose from Turquoise, Coral, Onyx, Howlite,
and others, as well as the great original selection.
Metallic Finish Glass Marbles
These are fun, if not particularly ingenious. 16mm glass
marbles with a fancy metallic coating. These would be good for kids who
like pretty marbles but who don't care if they are real stones.
New Chip Beads
This is one of those cases where I looked through my computer
for pictures of beads that had not been listed, but which I've had for months
(or in some cases, YEARS). Poor forgotten chip beads. Sitting
around, wondering what they did wrong to deserve being stuck in my computer with
no way out:
Platinum Diamond
We've carried Diamond beads for a year or two now, but they
are in their natural crystalline form and cost $15 per bead. We recently
got a MUCH better deal on smaller Diamond beads. They do not show their
original crystalline structure; they are much more like real Chip beads, and
they are just a dollar per bead. WOW! You'll need two of these to
fill the space that one of the other beads would have filled, but you'll still
be $13 ahead.
Imitation Malachite
Why imitation Malachite? Who knows? It isn't like
real Malachite chip beads are all that costly. The imitation looks a
little prettier than real Malachite, but real Malachite is plenty pretty too, so
I just don't get this.
Imitation Turquoise
Why imitation Turquoise? We already have Howlite.
To be certain, I'm not sure WHAT these beads are made of. They definitely
have some sort of resin holding the color together, but what makes the color, I
don't know. It may very well be real Turquoise powder. It also might
be melted crayons. I'm not claiming anything. I also don't know what
makes the totally fake-looking black matrix. It looks like it was drawn on
with a Sharpie. These are completely awful.
Imitation Hematite
Why imitation Hematite? Okay, this one is easy to
answer. Real Hematite tends to have a dull reddish-brown cast over it
(think of it as rust!), while imitation Hematite (known as Hemalyke or Hematine)
is a perfect dark metallic gray that doesn't tarnish. We've got them both
now.
New Incense Fragrances
For the last few years we've participated in our local Peach
Days festival, and last year we discovered that incense was a HUGE seller.
So in preparation for this year's festival, I bought up a bunch of new
fragrances. Unfortunately, my booth partner (Hi Mom!) broke her arm and
foot, so we had to cancel the festival this year. Which leaves me with a
LOT of nice fresh incense and nobody to sell it to. Won't you give it a
home? I must have been hungry the day I ordered it, because most of the
new fragrances are edibles! (Chocolate, Blueberry Pie, Maple Syrup,
Watermelon, Kiwi, Candy Cane, Banana Nut Bread, Black Licorice, on and on and
on...)
Silver Flake Bottle
I could have sworn I had listed these recently, but they
appear nowhere on the site, so once again, here is something that has been
sitting around for ages without being make available to the public! This
is a silver replica of our fat gold bottles. Same bottle shape, same
plastic top and inner cork, same liquid matrix (it's an alcohol type substance),
and same price.
Audubon Bird Calls are Back in Stock
Someone was asking about these recently. We just
got a new batch in, and it's not too late to get one for your next
bird-watching expedition. My kids love these. They really do sound
just like songbirds. Sit outside with one of these for a while, and you'll
eventually get birds talking back. It's the coolest thing.
Single Loose Faceted Gemstones
Our Faceted Gemstones Grab Bags are great, but sometimes you
are looking for something more specific. Now we have loose faceted gems in
sizes that you can choose. We've got Amethyst, Garnet, Peridot, White
& Blue Topaz, Smoky Quartz, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Tanzanite, Citrine,
Apatite, Spinel, Fire Opal, and Rose Quartz. Make jewelry, or build your
own personal collection. (Some of these do not have pictures yet, but you
know what an Emerald looks like, don't you??)
Value Pack of Hemp & Leather Jewelry
This is great for swap meet folks who want to re-sell, or for
people looking for small gifts for lots of people. This is a collection of
25 necklaces & bracelets made from hemp, leather, elastic cord, and other
materials. The necklaces have focal points of various materials, and the
bracelets are beaded and/or woven. Each collection is slightly
different.
Pink Tourmaline Added to Tumbled Gemstones
We've added a great new stone to our Premium Tumbled Gemstones
selection. Pink Tourmaline has all the beauty of Ruby, with a high gloss
finish. Tourmaline is my favorite stone!
Amber Chip Beads with Insects
Just a few of these available! One-of-a-kind creations
can be made with these awesome chip beads. Each is tumbled smooth, and
holds a visible insect. These will go fast, so get yours soon! See
them at the top of the Amber Beads page here:
Coming Soon
New Chip/Nugget Beads:
Purple Shell, Sky Quartz, Seraphinite, Bronzite, Bauxite, Clay, Tektite,
Primavera Stone, Morganite, Yellow Tourmaline, Fluorite w/ Matrix, Rough
Malachite, Multicolor Glass, Dyed Quartz, Andalusite, Pink Marble, Pink Chalk
Turquoise, Green Agate, Champagne Quartz, Shattukite, Alunite, Blue Ruby
Zoisite, White Jade, Aurora Borealis Crystal in various colors, Brown
Chrysoprase
Agate Rings
Bamboo Wind Chimes
Fossil Shark's Teeth
Solitaire Boards for Marbles
African Baskets
Earth Marbles
Aqua Aura Herkimer Diamonds
Stone Fun Facts
Tsavorite
** Please see general information about Garnets HERE.
** Tsavorite is from the Garnet family Grossular. It is
a brilliant green color.
** Tsavorite was discovered in the late 1960s,
in Tanzania. Since then, it has been mined in Tanzania and Kenya. It
is an incredibly rare stone due to only being found in one part of the world,
and due to the fact that the mines are in very inhospitable environments, when
poisonous snakes, lions, and other dangerous animals dwell. Less
than 1,000 carats of Tsavorite are mined in a single year.
** It is very
rare to find a Tsavorite stone that is larger than 1 carat. Stones of 2 or
more carats are nearly impossible to find. (This is why our Tsavorite
Chip Beads are so tiny.)
** Tsavorite gets its name from the Tsavo National Game
Reserve in Kenya. It is also known as Tsavolite.
** Emeralds are facing
great commercial competition from Tsavorite as the world's premier green
gemstone. Not only is Tsavorite rarer than Emerald, but it is greener,
brighter, stronger, and does not need any types of treatment (heat, oiling,
dying, irradiation, etc.), whereas Emerald is a fragile stone that needs to be
oiled in order to be worn as jewelry. However, jewelers are reluctant to
carry Tsavorite, because the general public prefers to buy more well-known
stones such as Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, etc.
** Crystal healers use Tsavorite to help strengthen the body,
promote energy, and protect from poisoning and infectious diseases. It is
thought to help repel insects and heal irritated skin.
** Tsavorite helps the wearer to find wisdom and the courage
to guide one's own destiny. It enhances the imagination, intuition, and
self-understanding. Tsavorite was once thought to protect from bad dreams
when placed under a pillow.
** Being a December-born, I was pleased to learn that
Tsavorite is one of the ruling gemstones of Sagittarius.
Please see our Stone Fun Facts
here:
News & Stuff
I'm Done With eBay
eBay, you served me well back in the day, but now I have
outgrown you.
For the last two or three months, I have had almost no
sales on eBay. I typically run 10-20 auctions weekly, mainly for chip
beads and eggs/spheres, and occasionally for some of our other items.
After several months with few-to-no bids each week, I am letting eBay go.
I'm not entirely sure what the problem is. It
might be that the competition is too vast. With 200 other people selling
the exact same thing I am selling, how can I stand out? (I tried to list
only the most rare stones, but I'm not having any luck with those lately
either.) It could also be that buyers are less enchanted with eBay after
the recent postal rate hike. What's the point in buying a bag of beads
when you'll have to pay three dollars to get it to your house? As a buyer,
I have been more and more shocked at the outrageous shipping fees on many
auctions (I recently saw one store selling individual gemstones with a starting
shipping fee of $10, and an additional $1.95 for each item after that--and these
are items that weigh an ounce or less!), and it could very well be that others
like me have grown disgusted with the eBay experience and are avoiding it.
eBay as a concept is wonderful. I love knowing
that millions of people are browsing. I have used eBay as advertising for
years--catch 'em in eBay and send 'em over to the store. But this only
works when people are actually looking at my auctions, and these days people
just are not doing that any more.
As my 20 auctions end tonight (in three minutes), I've
got one bid. That will cover my week's fees. This week, I will not
submit any more auctions. I may try again in the future, but it seems to
be a lost cause at this point. If there are any other eBay sellers out
there, feel free to share your thoughts on this.
That's Pronounced How?
Recently I was in a conversation with someone, and I
mentioned peridot. I pronounced it with the last syllable sounding like
"dot." My companion corrected me, "No, it's per-i-DOE." I had heard
it pronounced this way in the past by others, and I was curious as to its true
pronunciation. As a gem dealer, I obviously want to make sure I am saying
it right, so I looked it up.
What I found were a lot of websites saying that, despite
people's insistence for pronouncing it "per-i-dot," it is actually pronounced
"per-i-doe." Then I looked it up in a couple of dictionaries.
Funny. Every single dictionary had "per-i-dot" and
the primary pronunciation, and "per-i-doe" as a secondary pronunciation!
So now I am trying to figure out where all those people who insist it's supposed
to be "per-i-doe" got their information. It sure wasn't from any
dictionary. I can only assume that, since "peridot" is of French
origin, people think its pronunciation must automatically be what it would have
been in French. But apparently it is indeed pronounced with the
"dot." This is an example of the misinformation that is so readily
available on the internet; that anyone can "publish" anything they like, and it
will eventually become some sort of strange fact. So many websites say it
is NOT pronounced as it looks, yet I cannot find a single dictionary that
supports this claim.
If anyone knows the origin of the
"per-i-doe" pronunciation, please let me know. In the meantime I will
stick with the dictionaries and call it "per-i-dot!"
Fortnightly Sale
Chip Strands Grab Bag!
We recently got in lots of strands of Chip Beads, and want to make them
available for sale. This fortnight, we are offering a package of three (3)
random Chip Strands for $9.00. The stones will be chosen by us, and the
strands will measure 32" to 36" long. If you order more than one package,
we'll make sure to vary the beads so you get a good selection. NO LIMIT;
buy as many as you like! This is a great deal for Chips lovers who want to
build up a good collection.
This Fortnight's Sale is good through September 2,
2007
Penny Sale
Every two weeks, I hide a new special offer somewhere on my online
site. This listing will offer a certain product for ONE CENT, with any
purchase of $10.00 or more. The item and its location will change every
two weeks, so be sure to look often. Simply go to my online store
site:
and browse until you find the hidden listing. Add it to your cart,
along with the rest of your $10.00+ order, and it will be included for just a
penny. Happy Hunting!
(Recent keen-eyed customers got a pair of ROSE QUARTZ POINT
BEADS for a penny! What will you be able to get this week?)
$2 Off Discount Code
Save $2 on your next order by entering the following coupon code into the
appropriate field during check-out:
RIDA3007
(This code is good through September 30, 2007.)
Insider's Special
Free Peridot!
Peridot is the official gemstone for August. Get a free bag of
Peridot beads or a free faceted Peridot gemstone with your purchase of
$10.00 or more this fortnight. All I ask is that you drop me a line to let
me know of your subscriber status so I don't forget to include your freebie (and
I WILL forget to include it, I promise), and also if you have a preference for
beads or a faceted stone. (If you do not specify a preference, we'll
send beads.)
This Fortnight's Insider's Sale is good through September 2,
2007
Last Fortnight's Top Sellers
(You know you want to be just like everyone
else!)
1. Gemstone Marbles
2. Turquoise Chip Beads
3. Tumbled Polished Gemstones
4. Pyrite Chip Beads
5. Opal Chip Beads
6. Lapis Chip Beads
7. Peridot Chip Beads
8. Amber Chip Beads
9. Opalite Chip Beads
10. Garnet Round Beads
That's it for this issue. Talk to you
again in two weeks.
--Suzanne Dallapè
eBay user ID: ephemerala
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