Have you taken a fancy to gemstone beaded necklaces recently? Or perhaps you have started wearing them, and would like to learn more about how to choose your pieces, and what you should be looking out for? I have been very involved with gemstone beads for some three decades now - collecting them, then started designing necklaces with them and more recently, launched our own brand Manik, online. Having garnered some experience and knowledge about gemstone beads and necklaces over the years, I am sharing some insights which I hope will be helpful to you when making decisions on beaded gemstone necklaces.

The focus here is on the rich variety of stones more commonly found in gemstone beaded necklaces from agate and jasper to lapis lazuli, turquoise and moonstone – rather than on precious gemstones (such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds) typically associated with fine jewellery.

There is an infinite variety of gemstone beads being used in gemstone beaded necklaces, with new ones emerging as new minerals are discovered. Sakura agate ( seen in our Manik necklace called Sakura, in our shop) for example, was a relatively new discovery.

Not all of these are ‘equal’ in terms of the price they would command when used in beaded gemstone necklaces. The more common ones that you might be familiar with, or have seen or heard of, are possibly agate, tiger’s eye, rose quartz, jasper (and there are so many varieties of jasper in bead form in the market), and perhaps rock crystal?

Among the stones commonly encountered in beaded necklaces, I would generally place these among the more expensive materials – turquoise (especially older, untreated material), lapis lazuli (high-grade, deep blue), morganite, kunzite, aquamarine, malachite, amber (especially genuine Baltic amber and older stock), chrysoprase, and high-grade moonstone (with strong adularescence), although quality, size and treatment can have an impact on the actual value.

By contrast, stones such as agate, jasper, aventurine, sodalite, howlite are usually more affordable, though attractive examples can still command respectable prices.

Thus, not all agates are equal. Factors such as the clarity of the banding, translucency, pattern and color can influence both desirability and price. Finely banded agates may command a higher price, and the same is true for newer varieties such as sakura agate and matcha alashan agate, which have become popular in recent years. Even exceptional examples of more common materials can be highly prized. I own a strand of 20 mm blue lace agate beads that a trusted supplier kept for two decades because he considered them unusually fine, would not sell it casually, and only let me acquire it when I launched Manik. In this instance, quality and character mattered more than the name of the stone itself! So there is agate, and then there is that agate!

Another factor to consider in assessing the gemstone beads of a necklaces is the quality of the cutting and polishing. Well finished beads tend to reflect light more attractively, revealing the inherent beauty of the stones more clearly. Beads that have been faceted or microfaceted also often command higher prices because of the additional work involved. The numerous tiny facets catch and reflect light, creating greater sparkle than a smooth finished bead.

By the same token, if the beaded gemstone necklaces features beads in unusual shapes such as cuboctahedrons or hexagonal prisms, for example, it may also cost more because the beads themselves would have cost more due to the work involved. As a designer, I look out for beads with different shapes because you need the variety for good design work!

Natural or treated? While the name of the stone is important, it does not tell the whole story. Certain gemstones such as agates, are often dyed or otherwise treated, and such practices are generally accepted within the industry. The colour and lustre of the vintage cornflower blue agate in our Manik necklace Renewal (sold), which came to me from Grays Market, and which I kept for some twenty years before designing with it, has remained remarkably stable over the years, showing that quality treatment can produce attractive and enduring results.

Rather than assuming that all treatments are undesirable, it is thus more useful to ask whether the stone has been treated and if so, how. If the colour of the gemstone necklace appears unusually vivid, or too uniform, a reputable seller should be able to explain any treatments that have been applied. Personally, I tend to favour natural and untreated materials, but I am not opposed to treated stones when the results are aesthetically pleasing, and the treatment has been honestly disclosed.

Genuine or Imitation? Unfortunately, this is an important consideration when buying beaded gemstone necklaces, and this is especially true for the higher priced stones such as turquoise, lapis, amber. Howlite for example, can be dyed to look like turquoise, and this is an acceptable industry practice provided the stones are acknowledged to be howlite. If you like the necklace and know that you are paying for howlite rather than turquoise, I think that’s fine. Many years ago, I almost bought a turquoise necklace on one of my trips abroad – I liked the design, the turquoise beads looked good, the price was reasonable. Something felt off, however, and I walked away. Subsequently, I realised that what had instinctively felt ‘off’ to me was that the necklace felt too light – genuine turquoise beads like lapis, malachite and others have a certain density, which the imitation stones may not have. So those particular turquoise beads could have been an imitation stone or compressed turquoise.

The other point about gemstone beads worth bearing in mind generally, is that natural stones often contain variations in colour, pattern and consistency. While imperfections are not a guarantee of authenticity, an overly uniform appearance may sometimes warrant a closer look!

Of all the materials commonly encountered in beaded gemstone necklaces, amber may be one of the most difficult for the casual buyer to evaluate confidently. Amber has attracted imitation for decades, with plastics, resins, copal being used. There is also compressed amber. And unlike some other stones, visual inspection alone may be insufficient for authentication.

Then there is “jade” – genuine jade exists across a very wide range of varieties and prices. With jade, there are several variables to consider type (jadeite versus nephrite), quality (colour, translucency, texture, and fineness of grain, and treatment (untreated, bleached, polymer-impregnated, dyed etc). There is now also a lot of Myanmar jade on the market. Not all jade from Myanmar is of premium quality, nor need it be. Lower-grade but genuine jade can still be attractive and perfectly appropriate for jewellery, provided the material is accurately described and fairly priced. Certain stones may also be marketed under names that may be unfamiliar to buyers. “Korean white jade”, for instance is usually bowenite, and sellers may also use the term “new jade”, usually serpentine.

New materials and varieties also appear periodically, such as the sakura agate and matcha alashan agate that I mentioned previously. I recall being sceptical when I first encountered the intense turquoise-toned amazonite that you see in the necklace Splash! (in our shop) in the photo here, being used to amazonite in shades of green. On doing more ‘research’, I found that it was indeed a genuine variety of the stone, a new discovery!

In summary, the name of the stone is only part of the story. Factors such as colour, pattern, lustre, cut and finish can have a significant impact on both appearance and price of the gemstone beads, and thus, the beaded gemstone necklaces.

I cannot leave this article without mentioning the design of the gemstone beaded necklaces. The materials matter, but so does how the beads have been composed, the overall look and feel that the necklace imparts. In the end the necklace is or should be more than a string of turquoise or lapis beads simply strung together; the design matters too! This is where personal style comes in. Some people are drawn to bold, sculptural pieces, while others prefer quieter, more contemplative designs. What is your preference?

For our brand Manik, I have worked out a soft taxonomy of five style families into which all our necklaces may fall, and these are the contemporary sculpturals, the refined classics, the bold expressions, the heritage-inspired and the curated casuals. If interested in finding out more about styles in necklace designs do browse our other blog piece The Style families of Manik’s Necklaces and a related piece on Manik’s Necklaces and Personal Styles.

In conclusion, learn about gemstone beads certainly, ask questions and cultivate an observant eye, but ultimately, the best beaded gemstone necklaces are not necessarily the most expensive or the ones with the best stones, but those that speak to you – the ones that reflect your personal style, resonate with your preferences and feel like an expression of who you are 😊 !