GBM Store Blog

Save your jewelry

| Gem & Bead Mall Mesa
Judi working hard

Over the years we have done our fair share of jewelry repairs, and we’ve learned a lot through that experience. I want to pass on some of that knowledge in order to help you prevent issues and keep your jewelry nice for a long time. Mind you, I restrict my advice to mostly beaded and strung jewelry since we are a bead shop. And if we can’t fix it, or it can’t be fixed, we’ll tell you. We’ve had some challenges in the past, but Judi likes a challenge. She’s good at improvising.

Silver/gold Smiths are the experts in fine jewelry. They repair items that require a steady hand and soldering.

Now let me tell you what you can do to avoid wrecking your jewelry that you love so much.

#1: do NOT wear it 24/7! Nothing will hold up to that kind of abuse. No matter how well it is crafted. For example, there are always weak spots that can’t be reinforced enough and be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and/or proportionate to the piece.

#2: Don’t wear your necklace to bed. It’ll get tangled in your hair, in your pillow or blanket and can pull apart when you are restless.

#3: Don’t wear it in the shower. All that shampoo and conditioner and lotion will dull your beads and clog the holes, disintegrate the thread/wire and turn your treasure into junk.

#4: If you must wear jewelry in the pool make sure it is made from stainless steel. Pool chemicals will wear down the finishes on beads over time as well as elastic, thread and beading wire. Wearing a piece once in a while won’t do much harm but don’t make it a frequent habit. Just give it a rinse afterward and let it dry. One thing you may want to keep in mind: your pool person would not be very happy if it breaks in the pool and you can’t retrieve it before it gets sucked into the cleaning system.

Ok, those were the ‘don’t-s. Now for the ‘do-s’

#1: Do store your jewelry in a jewelry box or drawer when you’re not wearing it. Especially the silver ones. A good jewelry box is lined with cloth that is permeated with anti-tarnish agents that will help prevent oxidation. What also helps is placing your silver piece in a Ziploc baggie and perhaps add an anti-tarnish strip, or a piece of white chalk. Remember moisture will accelerate tarnishing, especially in damp climates. Another preventative measure are those little desiccant pouches that you find when you buy a new handbag or clothing etc. Keep these in your jewelry box. They wick away moisture as well.

#2: Do hang your necklaces from a stand or a hook if you don’t have a jewelry box. This keeps them from tangling. You can also put them in small boxes, compartments in a drawer, and again, in pouches or bags. That also helps with keeping your jewelry sets together. I once knew a woman who kept her jewelry sets in a bag suspended from the hanger of the matching outfits. How clever!

#3: Do inspect your stretchy bracelets (and other jewelry) periodically. Elastic will wear out and also dry out. Especially in hot and dry climates. Once they become loose or show signs of fraying have them re-strung or do it yourself.

#4: Do give your jewelry an gentle bath on occasion. Yes, I said not to wear it in the shower but this is different. Take a soft toothbrush and a drop of dish soap or jewelry cleaner and, holding your jewelry in the palm of you hand, add a little water and brush gently between the beads and on the surfaces. This loosens up dirt and other icky things that get in holes of the beads and in between. Rinse clean and pat dry with a soft cloth. You might want to keep it all in a bowl so you don’t loose it down the drain. Or at least put the drain plug in.

Side Note: If I want to put a quick clean and shine on my gold wedding ring I use a soft toothbrush and white toothpaste and give it a good scrub under running water. Works for me, might work for you. Same for sterling silver. Both can withstand a good scrubbing.

We have serviced a lot of broken jewelry over the years and you’d be amazed what people sometimes bring us. I don’t relish having to pick/cut out hair and other organic Schmutz before I can get stared with the work. Sometimes we get dirty, grimy, slimy, smelly and even food splattered items that I will refuse to take until they come back clean.

Important tip: Real pearls are a whole separate matter and you will get the best advice from an expert. The one thing I tell my customers is “your pearls are the last thing you put on before you leave the house, and the first thing you remove when you return”. That being said, keep in mind that makeup, perfume, lotion and sweat are pearl killers. So keep your pearls clean by giving them a water only bath sometimes or have them professionally cleaned. Do NOT use ionic jewelry cleaners or any liquid jewelry cleaners. The finish of these gorgeous gems will be destroyed. The same goes for turquoise, coral, opals, amber, jet (most organic gemstones) and any other so called “soft” gems.

Alright, I’m done! These are my two cents on this subject. If you want to throw in your two cents you can leave them in the comments below.

That Thing About Teaching a Craft

| Gem & Bead Mall Mesa

By Monika R Lamb

I have that thing about teaching/learning a craft, any craft.

Let me extrapolate a bit first. Let’s start with these online courses that really are a wonderful thing. You can access them anytime, anywhere and they show you exactly how to do things in the comfort of your living room. There are so many to choose from. You have to really spend some time looking for what appeals to you the most.

For example, you can enter a virtual classroom with many participants and one teacher, and spend two hours learning and chit-chatting along. Not something I have time or patience for honestly. Then you have those individuals who have an awesome setup with multiple cameras and diagrams, and they show you exactly how to do things. Most of them are very explicit with their descriptions. They are down to business and getting things accomplished. I have some favorites among them. The last group I want to mention are those who don’t talk. They just show you how it’s done with music in the background (that you can luckily silence), and it’s over in mere minutes. You really have to pay attention to what’s going on or you’re totally lost. They are useful, but challenging to say the least. I usually have to take notes first before I try to do it.

To be honest, I have little use for them. Don’t get me wrong, they all serve a purpose and, I’m sure, have a positive impact on the individual who seeks them. The only reason I use these online videos is the lack of books and teachers. When my publisher informed me two years ago that they will discontinue printing hobby books I almost cried. Yes, you can still buy eBooks but there’s something about real paper and being able to insert a note or two. It’s a generational thing, I know. Us “old people” (like my children like to call us) are most comfortable with what we were raised. And that’s true for the younger folk as well. They are comfortable around their technology. My technology use generally involves a lot of swearing. And, mark my words, one day the printed word will be popular again.

So, where am I going with this, you ask. I have noticed an increase in interest for classes. People come into the store and ask if we teach classes, and yes, we do. Gladly and with enthusiasm. People often try to learn from videos, but get frustrated because something is missing, they don’t understand the next step, or they’re just tired trying to follow along, and having to do it alone.

Don’t get me wrong, if you like videos, by all means, continue. You do you after all. These are just my observations over the past years.

To me/us the ideal situation of transferring my knowledge from my brain to yours is by teaching you in person. We sit, we talk, I show you how to do things, you can ask questions, I give answers, and, I can show little tricks of the trade that you normally don’t get from a video. As we know, not everyone learns the same way. Interaction is the key. Hands on is best. Then there is the social aspect. We need to be among people. We learned that when we were hunkered down at home in 2020. That’s why we form friendships, join clubs, congregations, etc. We have a beading club that meets every Wednesday afternoon. However, since COVID it has been somewhat lacking. I would love to see more happy beaders in my store. Building community is important to us.

I spend a considerable amount of time making a class schedule and finding teachers each month. I would appreciate some feedback on what people are interested in. Many come and ask, take a schedule and are never seen again. So, there’s the thing: I need help deciding where the interest lies. Is there something you wan to learn that we don’t offer? Do you have a favorite stitch or technique you want to learn? Do you have a stash of beads at home and don’t know what to do with them or where to start?

We offer beginning and intermediate classes in jewelry making, Kumihimo braiding, loom weaving, beading with needle & thread, wire wrapping, chainmaille weaving, and macramé.

We offer group classes on the weekends, Open Beading on Wednesday afternoons, and private classes you can book with a teacher. Let’s try something new together. Let us know what we can help you learn to ease your stress and make your life happier.

We’VE Moved!!!!

| Gem & Bead Mall Mesa

It was time and the lease was up. Best laid plans seldom work out and I should have known that. It was a harrowing experience. The first time we moved it was easy. We didn’t have much inventory, and the build-out was minimal. This time around it took us 10 days to pack and 3 weeks to unpack, and we’re still looking for some stuff. I’ve recorded some of our progress on the Nextdoor App which you can follow if you have access to it. Every time I turned around I tripped over another monkey wrench. We had to deal with organizing, paint, carpet, hanging slat wall and grid wall, buying more fixtures, assembling storage shelves, marquee sign, monument sign, AC units, installers, workers, city codes, and a variety of other, smaller issues. When all was said and done, my husband threatened me with divorce if I ever made him do that again (tongue-in-cheek of course). One thing I must say, our landlord was very accommodating and helpful.

Now, we’re happy to be here. It is a nice location, easy to find and to get to, close to the AZ-202, parking right outside the door, lots of foodie places around and a grocery store.

The store is bright and open and we filled up 2,000 square feet with stuff. We have a small library with many books and articles for in-store-perusal.

We have a nice teaching nook for classes and groups to hang out and do their thing and you don’t have to pay for use of the space. If anyone is interested, just call the store 480-985-2207 and we’ll talk. Building community is one of my greatest desires. There’s so much we can learn from each other and be of help to each other.

With that being said, we had quite a few people who helped us, and I would like to thank them here. All that they did for us was greatly appreciated and we could not have done this without them.

Foremost, my husband Jim, who kept me from the brink of insanity and tears more than once. He also freely gave the blood sacrifice to the building gods when a slat wall panel slipped and gouged his ankle. It took months to heal. My employees Judi and Renee who showed up every day and Judi even when she wasn’t feeling well. Kara, our resident jewelry artist, who wrapped everything she could lay her hands on in bubble wrap. My daughter Sophia and her husband Colin, friend Andy and Judi’s husband Jeff who helped with the buildout, painting and moving heavy objects and so much more. Our faithful customers Evelyn and Darryl who came to help whenever they could. Our teachers Kathy and Albina who lent a hand when it was possible. Travis and Kristin who helped with the build out, put in the internet cable and helped with setting up the computers. My eternal gratitude will be forever yours.

Please come in and admire our new location and handiwork. Let’s have a nice chat and we’ll show you around. Our 11th anniversary is coming up middle of the month, so stay tuned for exciting announcements.

Hope to see you soon!

Monika

GBM Membership

| Gem & Bead Mall Mesa

We’re a little retail bead store but we have one big thing going for us: a membership club. You know, like at some other stores like Costco or Kroger. Well, maybe not quite the same as that.
This is how it works: there is an annual membership fee (of course, there always is) of, get this, $20. Pretty low, right.
So, we give you a member card, nothing fancy though, and put your info in the computer. When you come and shop with us we can pull your info at check out and, CLICK! you get a 30% discount.
Now, I must admit that I can’t give you a 30% discount on everything. There are exemptions like stuff that costs a buck or less. Sterling silver and gold fill is always only 10% off and some other items. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent and my health insurance and the girls would be out a job.
But there is another perk that makes up for that. Yes, I know, I sound like a car salesman. Just bear with me.
Once a month, on a long weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun), usually around the middle of the month we have a special sale of 50% off most items. That’s when you want to buy the pricier items like tools and fancy stone beads and so on.
Not too bad, don’t you think.