I recently noticed I was getting low on a few chip favorites, including Lapis and Hematite. I discovered a new vendor, so I decided to check them out by buying a batch of new stones, including those two. Most of their stuff is really nice, but obviously all stones are different, and all vendors are likely to have slightly different wares. For lapis, they sent me white howlite that had been dyed to a lapis color. Now, I find these beads much prettier than normal lapis, because I tend to like strong, clear colors. But folks wanting lapis want the deep blue with the white and black and pyrite marbling, not a uniformly blue stone. Similarly, the hematite I got contains a high iron content, which gives these stones a "rusty" look. They are really cool, but don't look like the hematite I currently offer. I like my customers to get good matches when they order several times. But anyone who'd ordered hematite or lapis from me in the past and was wanting some extras to complete their project simply would not be able to use the new stones I have alongside their old ones.

So I made lemonade. I specifically marketed the lapis as Lapis Howlite, and I decided to call the hematite Red Hematite to differentiate it from regular hematite. Now, I have two new additions to my offerings, which gives people more choice. The only problem, of course, is that I am probably going to run out of Lapis and Hematite before I'll be able to order more from a different vendor! (Wholesale prices are great, but they necessitate a hefty monetary commitment.) Ah, well, when you make lemonade, there are bound to be a few seeds.