Category Archives: Chinese Jewelry

Every collector searches for some of the rare pieces that have seen in auction catalogs or reference books… pieces they would love to own… I have been searching for this 19th century white jade bangle for 6 or 7 years … and finally found it. [ click on images to enlarge .... photos by: RP [...]

Most of us… myself included, are used to thinking of  "Chinese Export Silver" as the pieces that were sold to Western markets in Europe and North America in the 18th and 19th century. [ click on images to enlarge .... photos by: RP (Bob) Birt ] But this pair of heavy (200 g.) high grade [...]

“The Emperor’s Beads” … these are the only beads that have ever made me cry … I bought them online four  years ago… and when I opened the package I found out that Customs had opened the box – unwrapped the beads and had broken 21 beads… I was so upset that I put the [...]

The Chinese love of the jade stone has a long and well known history… but the story of these carved lapis beads is not as well known. [ click on images to enlarge .... photos by: RP (Bob) Birt ] During the Qing Dynasty only members of the Imperial family were entitled to use pearls, [...]

As part of this series on beads, I want to spend some time talking about quality… what makes one bead more valuable than another … here is an example using the Jade stone… [ click on images to enlarge .... photos by: RP (Bob) Birt ] “The Chinese have venerated and worn jade for over [...]

Amethyst is one of the most popular varieties of the quartz family… there are many ancient legends about these lovely stones. [ click on images to enlarge .... photos by: RP (Bob) Birt ] “Formerly it was believed that amethyst protected drinkers from becoming drunk…worn as an amulet, amethyst was used as a charm against [...]

This is probably the most dramatic string of beads in the ‘bead blog series’ that I am writing… the green is so strong that many people assume they are jade … but they are serpentine, a softer stone than jade, so it is easier to hollow out the stones. [ click on images to enlarge [...]

I am very excited to announce that I have been accepted to show my bead work on the 2011 Northumberland Hills Studio Tour, September 10th and 11th …a tour filled with great artists in some of the prettiest towns in Ontario … Please visit my new bead page www.susandods.com/beads …with its link to the tour [...]