It is strange, really, how we attach meaning to objects. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, usually when I’m sitting at my work table, sorting through trays of beads. We live in this incredibly digital world where everything is on a screen or in the cloud, yet we still crave things that have weight. Things that have texture. There is something very grounding about wearing natural stones. It’s difficult to explain without sounding a bit too… well, mystical, I suppose, but I think people have always been drawn to the coolness of beads against the skin. It isn’t just about fashion, although looking good is obviously part of it—we all want to present a certain version of ourselves to the world—but there is a deeper connection there. Perhaps a sense of history or just the simple appreciation of something that comes from the earth rather than a factory.
At Susan’s Mystic Gems, I try to focus on creating pieces that feel personal. When you look at Gemstone bracelets, you aren't just looking at mass-produced inventory. You are seeing a variety of beads that I’ve selected because they have character. I suppose that is the beauty, and maybe the frustration sometimes, of working with natural materials; no two beads are exactly alike. One might have a cloudier texture, another might have a sharp strike of color running through it. It adds a bit of unpredictability that I love.
You know, when you buy something from a big department store, you expect uniformity. Every single item on the rack is identical. And there is a comfort in that, I guess. You know exactly what you’re getting. But with Hand made bracelets, it’s different. It’s less about perfection and more about… personality? Is that the right word? Maybe "character" is better. When I’m stringing a bracelet, I’m looking at how the stones sit next to each other. Sometimes I’ll lay out a pattern and it just looks wrong. Technically it’s fine, the colors match, but it feels off. So I’ll swap a bead, maybe move a darker Agate next to a lighter Quartz, and suddenly it works. A machine doesn't make those decisions. A machine doesn't pause and think, "Actually, that looks a bit too heavy on the left."
The Process of Making
I think a lot of people don’t realize how much time goes into just… looking. Before I even start making a piece of gemstone jewelry, I spend a lot of time just sourcing the materials. I have to find beads that feel right. There are so many options out there—glass, plastic, resin—and they have their place, sure. But stone has a temperature. Have you ever noticed that? When you first put a stone bracelet on, it’s cool, almost cold. Then, as you wear it, it warms up to your body temperature. It becomes part of you in a way that plastic never really does.
I work with a variety of beads. Amethyst, with those deep, sleepy purples. Rose Quartz, which always seems so gentle, almost milky. Tiger’s Eye, which is probably one of my favorites because of the way it catches the light—it shifts when you move your wrist. It’s fascinating. I try to keep a wide stock because everyone is drawn to something different. I’ve had customers who only want black stones—Onyx, Obsidian, things like that. Very sleek, very modern. And then others who want a riot of color, mixing Jaspers and Turquoises.
It’s a slow process, making them. I don’t rush it. I sit there, usually with a cup of tea that’s gone cold—I always forget to drink it—and I thread the beads one by one. There is a rhythm to it. Pick up a bead, check the hole, thread it, slide it down. Repeat. It’s meditative, in a way. I think that energy, that calmness, sort of gets worked into the jewelry. I hope so, anyway. It feels more human than something stamped out by a press in a factory thousands of miles away.
Why Custom Matters
Actually, that is why I enjoy custom work so much. I offer a lot of finished pieces in the shop, obviously, because sometimes people just want to browse and click "buy." And that’s great. But often, someone will message me and say, "I saw this bracelet, but do you have it in a different size?" or "I love the green, but could you add a silver charm?"
I love those messages. Truly. It transforms the transaction from just "buying a thing" into a collaboration. We are making something together. I had a customer recently who wanted a bracelet for her friend who was going through a tough time. She didn't know exactly what she wanted, just that she wanted it to feel… soothing. So we talked about colors. We talked about stones that are traditionally associated with calmness, like Blue Lace Agate or maybe Howlite. We ended up designing a piece that was a mix of soft greys and blues. When I shipped it out, I felt like I was sending a little package of support, not just a piece of jewelry.
I am always happy to make custom items. It’s not a bother; it’s actually the most interesting part of the job. It breaks up the routine. If I just made the same ten designs over and over again, I think I’d get bored. I’d lose that spark. But when someone says, "Can you mix these three weird colors together?" I have to stop and figure out how to make it work. It’s a puzzle. Sometimes I’ll string it up and send them a photo and say, "What do you think?" and they might say, "Actually, can we change the middle one?" And we do. That back-and-forth is really special. You don't get that on Amazon.
The Reality of Small Business
Running a shop like Susan's Mystic Gems isn't all just playing with pretty stones, though. I don't want to romanticize it too much. There is a lot of… admin. Packing orders, printing labels, trying to figure out why the lighting in my photos looks slightly yellow when the beads are actually blue. It’s a learning curve, constantly. I’m not a professional photographer; I’m a maker. So sometimes my photos might have a shadow in the corner, or the background isn't perfectly white. I used to worry about that. I used to think, "Oh, this doesn't look like a magazine page."
But then I realized, maybe that’s okay. Maybe people actually like seeing that it’s real. My workbench has scratches on it. My hands aren't manicured models' hands. The lighting is just sunlight coming through my window. It’s authentic. I think—or at least I hope—that customers appreciate that transparency. When you buy from me, you are buying from a real person, Susan, who is probably worrying about whether she put enough bubble wrap in the envelope. (I always put enough bubble wrap. Maybe too much. I’m overly cautious like that.)
There is also the aspect of variety. I try to keep things fresh. I don't want the shop to look the same for months on end. So I’m always hunting for new beads. Sometimes I’ll find a strand of something I’ve never seen before, maybe a crazy lace agate with incredible patterns, and I’ll just buy it without knowing what I’m going to do with it. It might sit in a drawer for six months until one day, I’ll look at it and think, "Yes, that needs to go with the lava stone."
The Tactile Experience
I mentioned the weight earlier, but I want to go back to that. In a digital age, we don't touch things enough. We touch screens. Glass. Plastic keyboards. Smooth, featureless surfaces. Gemstone jewelry breaks that monotony. Beads have texture. Some are matte and frosted, feeling almost soft, like velvet. Others are polished to a high shine and feel slick and cool. Lava beads are rough and porous—great for essential oils, actually, which is another layer of sensory experience.
When you wear a bracelet, you fiddle with it. I do, anyway. If I’m nervous or thinking hard, I’ll spin the beads on my wrist. It’s a fidget tool, really. And having that tactile feedback—the bump of the stone, the coolness—it grounds you. It brings you back to the physical moment. It’s a small thing, but I think it matters. It’s a reminder that we are physical beings in a physical world.
A Note on "Imperfection"
I should talk about perfection, or the lack of it. Natural stones have flaws. Well, we call them flaws, but are they? A little inclusion in a crystal, a tiny dent in a jasper bead where the rock naturally formed that way. To me, those aren't defects. They are fingerprints. They prove the stone is real. If you want a perfectly round, perfectly colored, perfectly smooth red bead, you can buy plastic. It will look exactly the same today as it does in fifty years.
But a natural stone might change slightly. It might have a tiny vein of quartz running through it that you didn't notice at first. I try to select the best beads, obviously—I don't use broken or cracked ones—but I don't shy away from the ones that look… earthy. I think it makes the Gemstone bracelets more interesting. It adds depth. It means that your bracelet is truly unique. Even if I make five bracelets with the same type of stone, no two will be identical. Yours will be yours.
It’s funny, sometimes I’ll be making a batch and I’ll find a bead that is just so weird—maybe it’s got a flat spot or a strange color blotch—and I’ll think, "I can't sell this." But then I’ll look at it again and think, "Actually, that’s the coolest one." I usually keep those for myself. Or sometimes I’ll make a funky, mismatched bracelet for a customer who likes that sort of thing.
Gifting and Connection
A lot of my orders are gifts. I see the gift messages come through—"Happy Birthday, Mom," or "Just because I was thinking of you." It’s touching, honestly. To be a small part of that exchange. To know that something I made with my hands is going to be opened by someone I’ve never met, and hopefully, it will make them smile.
It adds a layer of responsibility, too. I want to get it right. I double-check the knots. I pull on the elastic to make sure it’s secure. I obsess over the packaging a little bit. I want the person opening it to feel special. Not just like they ordered a toaster from a warehouse. I want them to feel the care that went into it.
I suppose that’s the core of it. Care. We rush through life so fast. We buy fast food, fast fashion, fast everything. Taking the time to make something by hand—and taking the time to buy something handmade—is a way of slowing down. It’s a choice. It says, "I value this."
Looking Forward
I’m not sure what the future holds for the shop. Trends change. Algorithms change. It’s a bit scary, relying on a platform like Etsy. But as long as people still appreciate the feel of natural stone and the idea of Hand made bracelets, I’ll keep making them. I have so many ideas for new designs. I want to experiment more with different shapes—maybe rough cut nuggets instead of just round beads. I want to try mixing metals, maybe adding more copper or brass spacers.
I’m always open to suggestions, too. If you ever look at my shop and think, "I wish she had this in purple," tell me. Seriously. I’m a real person on the other end of the internet. I’m probably sitting here with my cold tea, wondering what to make next. Your idea might be the thing that sparks a whole new collection.
So, whether you are looking for something to wear every day to remind you to breathe, or a gift that feels a bit more thoughtful than a gift card, have a look around. I’m always adding new things as I find new beads that inspire me. And if you don't see what you want, ask. We’ll make it together. That’s the fun part.
Visit Susan's Mystic Gems on Etsy. I’d love to make something for you.
