Gemstone Beads by Hand

As usually defined by books, gemstones are naturally –found valuable stones. They have been present even in early civilizations until now as they are used to make jewelry. As perceived by our ancestors, these gemstones were always thought to somehow be a pathway to the divine ones and have healing powers.

In today’s society, the manufacture of gemstone beads can be delicate. For example, beads have to be drilled into so that strings can enter within it and tie those beads together. Since gems are fragile and sensitive to pressure, drilling usually is impossible on beads smaller than a fourth of an inch in diameter. With that, semi-precious stones are now being used for bead jewelry.

To make gemstone beads at the convenience of your own home, normally, you should choose polished stones, but there are some who prefer the unpolished ones. While the polished stones are done manually or machine-assisted, unpolished stones can be attractive in their own way. You may find them in the nearest jewelry store or even online. The actual drilling of the beads can be a brand new fun experience. You will need a working place with a bench with a small vise mounted on one edge. The vise should hold the bead properly as you drill the bead. So that the bead will stay still, a metal vise is advisable. However, the metal vise can easily scratch the bead. So put some padding in the interphase of the bead and the vise. Remember that the primary goal of the vise is to hold the bead in place so that when you are already drilling it, you won’t miss and destroy the bead.

Since the vise attached to a bench is already settled, let us decide on what drill size you should use. A light cordless drill outfitted with 1/16” drill bit. Before drilling the bead itself, try practicing first on other materials so you’ll get the hang of using the drill. After a few tries, drill into the bead slowly. Otherwise, either the gemstone or the drill will break. Just allow the spinning action of the drill bit to make a hole through the stone. Just repeat this on all the beads you have.

So after every drill, be sure to check if the bead has been drilled appropriately. Do this since you are just starting your way of mastering the making of jewelry beads. Seeing a mistake you may have incurred, you can actually prevent another. Check if the bead has been drilled evenly and appropriately. It is not just plain talent that determines how excellent you get. It is also defined by the amount of effort you put into it. Good luck with your gemstone bead experience.