The pictures below are from our book: Beadazzled, Where Beads and Inspiration Meet. In it we’ve gathered the work of many top designers. Our customers surprise us every day and now we would also love to showcase your work.

If you have professional quality pictures, feel free to e-mail them to us through the “Contact Us” link. Please include your name as you would like it to appear and any additional information you would like us to share. We reserve the right to edit information. Maximum dimensions and specs for photos: 750 x 750 pixels at 72 dpi. Thank you.

Beadazzled: Where Beads and Inspiration Meet
The gorgeous, hard-cover, full-color, 208 page book is an excellent value at $29.95 retail.   ISBN 0-9778820-2-0

For the first time this comprehensive volume gathers 70 of the top designers in the exciting field of beaded jewelry design. Drawn from 23 states, Canada and Israel, many have been creating wearable art for decades.

William L. Allen, former Editor in Chief of National Geographic, created 185 dazzling photographs especially for this book. Reproduced large and in full color, these images document the stunning diversity of the medium and the rich creativity it inspires.

In the introduction Penelope Diamanti weaves the fascinating history of beads together with her own and other designers’ experiences and insights. Seven chapters organize the work by materials, cultural influences, and construction.

The Gemstone chapter features magnificent jewelry made of semi-precious stone beads, while shedding light on the wealth of symbolism they convey. The bead jewelry renaissance of the 1970s produced a profusion of beaded adornment influenced by the vitality of African ornamentation. The pieces in the Africa chapter still astound us. The mystery and diversity of Asian cultures infuse this chapter with the energy of vibrant jewelry traditions of China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Thailand, and Central Asia.

Nature highlights the freshness and appeal of jewelry created with organic materials: wood, seeds, bone, horn, shells, coral, pearls, and more. Fiber and Metal explore new twists in texture and structure, demonstrating that beaded jewelry design, while drawing on tradition, is passionately alive. Contempo serves a visual feast of designs created with Contemporary American Art glass, space-age dichroic glass, and an eclectic mix of found objects.

Once prized for their ethnographic and historical interest, today beads and bead jewelry are also recognized as important art forms.

This essential survey of the bead renaissance of the late 20th and early 21st Century will delight artists, designers, collectors, and historians interested in beads and/or personal adornment.

About the Book Team
Photographer William L. (Bill) Allen served as the Editor in Chief of National Geographic for ten years. During his career at National Geographic as photographer, writer, and editor he covered the world for over 35 years producing hundreds of magazine articles and books on topics ranging from the discovery of the Titanic to 21st-century slavery. Under his leadership the magazine earned numerous top magazine awards. He lives in Alexandria, VA, and continues his interest in world cultures through jewelry and craft photography. More information is available from his website: www.billallenphotography.com.

Author Penelope Diamanti, jewelry designer and owner of Beadazzled® retail stores, earned an MA in Journalism and worked at National Geographic before turning full time to her bead business. Having traveled the world as the child of a diplomat, she continued her exploration as an adult, collecting and researching beads in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. She designed jewelry for galleries and museum stores before opening her three stores in the Washington/Baltimore metro area. She lives, works, and practices Tantra Yoga in Takoma Park, MD.

Art Director Constance H. Phelps brings 30 years of experience at National Geographic to this project. As Art Director & Senior Editor for National Geographic magazine, she was responsible for the look and feel of every page in the magazine, as well as designing over 800 stories. In addition she designed several books for their book division. She continues to design books and can be contacted at Cphelpsdesign@aol.com.

“BEADAZZLED is a celebration of the love affair we have had with beads since the beginning of time. This book, brilliantly illustrated, captures the spirit of each piece, giving readers a glimpse into the souls of the designers represented and sparking the creative fires of those who aspire to explore their own spirit through beads. Artistry, history, and inspiration at its finest.”
Elaine Robnett Moore

Beadazzled: Where Beads and Inspiration Meet is...

• an inspiring and comprehensive guide to the exciting field of beaded jewelry
• an exploration of design, color, materials, and African & Asian influences
• a practical resource for artists, designers, historians, and collectors
• an introduction to the remarkable history of beads with bibliography
• photographed, written and designed by a team with many years of experience at the National Geographic Society

• sure to be appreciated by bead enthusiasts everywhere

"Re-Creating Jewelry by Jane Wang"

Every woman has that box full of old necklaces handed down from relatives over the years, many of which are broken.  While they may or may not have great monetary value, these pieces contain great sentimental value; perhaps evoking memories from childhood of            one’s mother wearinga particular piece.  It can be frustrating not to be able to wear these artifacts, due to a broken clasp or simply a design that does not  match your current style.  Jewelry designer Jane Wang has tackled this dilemma with her own designs in a particularly inspiring fashion. 

Wang resides in a suburb of Boston and works as an interior designer, but her passion for reconfiguring vintage necklaces is illuminated in her work.  A  personal collector of vintage/ trade beads as well as pearls, gemstones and crystals, Wang’s focus is on commissioned work.  Her clients bring to her their own beads handed down from family members, and with their input, she creates an original piece of jewelry that reflects both her and her client’sdesign aesthetic.

Describing her design process, Wang states, “With the client’s involvement, the piece I design and create results in a memorable piece that becomes a part of both of us!  I love translating client’s initial idea and my interpretation of the piece to the finished work.”          

Wang’s process is particularly inspiring to us at Beadazzled because we assist a great number of customers with repairing their broken jewelry.  Many of these customers are not necessarily satisfied with the original design of the work, but are unsure of how to best alter it.  The initial designing of a piece is often the most challenging part of jewelry making, and we all have experienced that dreaded “designer’s block.”  Inspiration can come from many different sources; Wang looks for hers everywhere from family members to architectural magazines.  “I am just going to use my instinct to create this challenging piece,” she tells herself.  “I know those beads will talk to me once I give them a chance.”  Wang is also inspired by other designers, and had the honor of meeting her favorite jewelry designer Kathleen Williams, author of Wearable Magic.  Touring William’s studio and her collection of trade beads and organic materials was so motivating to Wang that she spent the next day at the Bead Museum in DC.

In these difficult economic times many of us may not have tons of extra money to fund our artistic pursuits.  Jane Wang’s art is a great example of how inexpensive a hobby beading can be.  The next time you have that itch to bead but feel are uninspired by your bead stash, open up your jewelry box!  The treasures you find inside may surprise you!