2009 Beads Jewelry Fashion Trends Forecast

Foreword: In 2009 you’ll see more bright and natural colors in fashionable beads jewelry…




Spring of 2009 is right around the corner and there’s no better time to plan for the upcoming bead jewelry trends than right now, before the 2009 spring and summer seasons really begin! Predicting future fashion and jewelry trends is always a little bit of a game, but I’ve been reading a lot of fashion magazines, listening to my customers that visit my bead jewelry display table and generally talking to people about what they are looking for. There are some definite trends for 2009 and here are some of the things I’m hearing:


Colorful and Natural

I have seen some emphasis on "nature" influences which sometimes shows itself in the materials such as wood or stone beads use in jewelry, but I’ve also seen a lot more "flower" and "leaf" shaped beads and pendants on the scene. Any sort of botanical or organic looking jewelry pieces or beads are still popular from what I’ve seen. I don’t make much, but I’ve actually had people asked me if I have anything that has "natural warmth".

Big and Beautiful

It sounds like the days of dainty shiny pieces of metal jewelry are gone for the moment and the big and colorful gemstone jewelry and beads are still pretty hot right now. People are still asking for more “chunky” jewelry, sometimes with larger stones and crystals that catch the eye, sometimes with asymmetrical patterns or at least oddly cut beads and gemstones.

Cocktail Rings

If you're shopping, wearing or making rings, consider “rings with bling!” Cocktail rings are generally over-the-top diamond or gemstone rings that are overly colorful, shiny and, yes, sometimes a bit gaudy. But that’s part of the fun! These go along with the bright and bold bead jewelry you might be wearing and could even match or compliment it with similar gemstones or beads. You can make cocktail rings with gemstone beads, crystal beads or just about any other shiny materials.

Charms and Pendants

Again, going with the bold and bright bead jewelry, what stands out more than a beautiful chain that meets with a large bold diamond or gemstone charm or pendant on the end?
Modern Metals


Yes, natural and chunky are in, but there is still room for metals in beaded jewelry, especially when it is sleek and modern looking or even mixed with natural materials like wood and stone beads. There are always people who like the more “modern” beads and jewelry as opposed to the more traditional bead jewelry designs. You can buy modern beads for jewelry making or you can go for a more unique look and actually make beads jewelry out of hardware washers!



Silver and Gold
 
Silver has been popular for the last few years and that will probably continue, but you’ll also see more gold and even two-tone chains and metals being used in both beads and jewelry pieces. Some of those silver and gold Trollbeads are excellent examples of mixed metals being used as a charm or pendant in bead jewelry pieces.

Faux Foreign Influence

I’m still seeing a lot of Asian and Moroccan influences in fashion, home furnishings and even jewelry. The influences don’t have to be completely genuine or "realistic" but that sense of something coming from a foreign country and past time are still popular. 

Even the big chain stores are catching this vibe and a lot of their house wares and jewelry give off that "Pier One" vaguely Indian or Eastern Orient vibe. When you’re creating bead jewelry necklaces or bracelets you could think about using dark wooden beads (natural) and mixing it with large metal Oriental looking coins and rings with a hole through the center to bring in the foreign feel!

Colorful

You'll want to think about bright and bold, but remember that natural element! Neons and wild synthetic colors are not popular, but bright natural colors definitely are in, both in clothing and jewelry fashion. Once again, I have to turn to the color experts at Pantone who have picked out the trendy colors for 2009. Don’t forget to look at the 28 page Adobe Acrobat guide there! It’s fun and inspirational! I’m thinking about printing a few of the pages out and hanging them around my beading area for inspiration when I’m creating my jewelry.

Last, if you have seen any other bead jewelry trends for 2009 that I missed, pls don’t hesitate to let me know...

Something Interesting About Tibetan Hair Jewelry

Tibetan jewelry are beautiful things come from Tibet, it born with the magic powder endowed by that piece of land. Natural stones, corals, animal bones and silver are the main material of Tibetan jewelry, these materials are common, and in rough exterior, but contain exquisite connotations. Tiny patterns, engraving, mosaics are formed Tibetan jewelry’s design style subtly, also has strong and thick antique and original rustic flavors.

Tibet Hair Jewelry is standardized, rigorous and humorous, also varied with different regions, ages and marriage conditions. Speaking with great interests, I'd like to give several examples for you readers.

Tibetan Girls’ Hair Jewelry

Same as Chinese girls, Tibetan girls like to has a single plait, the root of the braid was binded with a red hair string, which was called "Xia Jiu" in Tibetan Language. The only difference is that Tibetan girls weaved their braids in a triangular and set it on the head, so it look more beautiful, generous and elegant.

Married Tibetan Women's Hair Jewelry

Girls are alone braided while married women are double-braided, and without hair support, and the length of the red strings are longer than that of their hair plait, women set their two crossed circular braids in the head from the back of their heads, that looked dignified, generous and mature.

Hair Jewelry of Tibetan Women in Pastoral Areas

It's difficult to judge a pastoral woman who has married or not, because regardless of age they all have several small braids on their head, same as Uygur girls, they bind these small braids into two and decorated them with red and green hair strings, also bunch corals, pearls, agates and nine-eye beads on the two braids, which often as long as their body and often draged with their skirt edges. If they put their braids circled on the head, it will looked as a jeweled crown and much styleful.

Hair Jewelry Wearing in Tibetan Mourning Period

In mourning period, Chinese men and women are all wearing black armbands, while Tibetan women merely should wearing different jewelry, that is the only judgement mark to discern that special occasion. Tibetan girls in the first year of her mourning period should wearing green hair strings and wearing pale red strings in the next year, and they could reuse a red hair string in the third year.

Tibetan Elderly Spinster’s Hair Jewelry

Tibetan elderly spinster’s hair jewelry is different from married women, and different from young girls too, a elderly spinster also have an alone braid, she put her braid circled on the head decorated with pale red hair strings, but is absent of a hair support.

Tibetan Men's Hair Jewelry

Tibetan men generally have a long plait, they will keep the hair on the head braided, and shave off hairs below pate. Tibetan men do not use red hair strings to bind their plaits, but using a black hair string, whose color is same with the hair. Tibetan men’s plaits are not braided with three hair strands as women’s, they are braided with four or five hair strands, so men’s plaits are braided into a flat one, looked more tight and powerful.


* Remarks for Ending:


All Tibetan jewelries are made by hands, and each piece is in a class by itself.
Many of Tibetan jewelries are created by lamas in temple. Tibetans have a custom that to daub oils on body, and believe that is on behalf of health. The same as Lama, so on some Tibet jewelries there are loops of scale.

With rich culture and heroic design styles, Minority people’s jewelry can not only attract your eyes, also impact your heart and soul. In this world returned to nature, Tibetan jewelry’s mystery and some a kind of romantic mood even get more of our hearts’ quest. Even you are dressed in general as usually, whenever you wear a piece of jewelry featured with Tibetan folk colors, you will looked more attractive and outstanding in common crowds.

Mysterious and Beautiful Tibetan Silver Jewelry

For Tibetans, jewelry is a part of everyday life as well as a reflection of their religious beliefs. Tibetan jewelry often represents deities or ritual items, such as dorjes or mantras.

Silver is one of a precious metal with relative low price and are used widely in Tibet jewelry, at the sametime Tibetan people also believe that the shines and colors emitted by silver possessed the capacity of avoiding disaters.

Tibet jewelry used 925 purity silver commonly, for the reason that the 925 silver has a more higher rigidity than 100% pure silver and difficult to deform, more importantly, it is showing a gloss more rich in quality, while the 100% purity silver is too soft to used in Tibet jewelry. And 925 silver are often called "pure silver" in business practices.

- Traditionly Tibet Silver Jewelry



Traditionly Tibetan jewelry is a white copper-made imitation silver jewelry with a small quantity of silver added in, and this kind tibet silver jewelry is very similar to the texture of silver jewelry, furthermore has a more anti-brasive capacity than silver, because this kind of silver material has a certain extensibility, exquisite Kasi products could be produced by using this kind of material.

- General Tibet Silver Jewelry

In fact, Tibet jewelry itself is a business term, initially people called white copper mixed with a little silver as Tibet silver, later called all white copper jewelry as Tibet silver jewelry, businessman nowadays called those jewelry products made of aluminum-alloy as Tibet silver. 

In fact, the traditional Tibetan jewelry are never use aluminum-alloy materials. In recent years as Tibet jewelry culture become popular, a large number of fashion Tibet jewelry imitated with traditional Tibetan jewelry style appeared in market, which often use low-price tin-aluminum alloy materials. Tibet jewelry made of such a kind of material are beyond authentic, but for their ultra-low prices they are still very welcomed by ordinary consumers.



Jewelry has traditionally been an important part of Tibetan daily dress. It is believed, jewels put people in touch with deities, and protect them from the many hazards of life in their rugged and treacherous land. Himalayan jewelry is often oversized and heavy, with elaborate surface design and an exuberance of color.

The value of Tibet jewelry was historically determined by the intensity of color and size of the components, rather than the value in gems or precious metals. Tibetan jewelry collection offers a diverse group of jewelry, ranging from necklaces, bracelets and rings to earrings, there are various beautiful pieces of jewelry that's perfect for everyone.