Blue Aventurine Ribbon

Got my hands on some Blue Aventurine Ribbon. Aventurine is Goldstone by any other name, but in the case of the blue stuff, calling it goldstone seems a trifle confusing.

I really like the ribbon, as it is very easy to work. As I used the entire piece in this bead - I can't show you want it looks like before being worked, but it is thin and flat and wide. The strips are about 1-2 mm thick (I think, from memory), and about 5-7 mm wide (about a 0.25 inches). I use them pretty much the same as a strip of dichro.

Make a base bead first, then, working further out in the flame for less heat, heat the end of the strip gently - and stick it the the bead. Then, heating the underside of the strip just to the point where it starts to soften, lay it down around the bead, pushing it down, so that it stays nice and thick. If you want less dramatic results, pull it out and stretch it a bit more for less intense effect.

I then encase it to emphasize the sparkle. I don't believe it needs to be encased, I just like the look.

I think that this blue version is sparklier than the traditional goldstone version I tried awhile back.

You can use it as an accent, or as a really dramatic background for say, encased flowers. Or just like this, on it's own, and "let the glass speak for itself."

;-)

This bead is about 30 mm long, fyi. In case you were thinking it was just a little spacer. In my case, the glass doesn't speak for itself so much as it shouts "Oy, over here. Pay attention monkey boy or I'll box your ears."