What to do with broken beads and stuff?

[Jennifer Gerard]

I have accumulated innumerable quantities of beads and broken jewelry in my last 15 years of business. I keep saving it because it has value, some of it silver some of it semiprecious stones. But as a wholesaler, I really don't have time to do the repair work myself. What would you do?

[Bead Lovers Network]

Wow your broken pieces are still pretty amazing! I wonder if people would buy them by the pound if they knew they needed repairs?

It seems like I remember a wholesaler of Greek ceramic beads that I ran across a few years back did that for 'floor sweeps' - she didn't have time to re-sort what would spill in the warehouse so it was just a mish-mash of unmatched/random but beautiful beads by the pound.

[Jennifer Gerard]

Where did she sell it? Ebay, shows? One of my biggest problems is the range of value in my floor sweepings.

[Bead Lovers Network]

I can't believe I was able to remember the name of her site - but I Googled her and found it - she has them on her sister site which she calls her 'flea market':

http://www.greekfleamarket.com/bead_bargains.htm

[Jennifer Gerard]

Thanks. I'll check it out.

[Deb Weller]

We collect broken beads and then bag them by the pound. I try to sort them between stone, glass, or misc. Anything that is sterling silver or gold filled - bits of headpins, cut chain links, broken/mashed bead caps, etc. get tossed into the scrap jar and when we have a few pounds (and the spot price is high enough) we send it to the refiner. We also buy scrap and broken gold and silver jewelry and bits and pieces left over from the creative process from our customers. They get rid of the stuff and make a few extra $$ to support their beading habit.

"Sweeps" are a different story. I have a carpet sweeper that collects everything on the floor - string, tags, dust bunnies, beads, etc. I'll sort out the non-bead stuff and plan to give the beads to my son to sort. He's in the Army and is supposed to be deployed in a few months. He wants something to do in his down time and he loves playing with little stuff like that. We joked that when he sends the stuff back, we can say it's "imported".

Deb - AZ Bead Depot

[Jennifer Gerard]

Hi Deb,

Thanks for the suggestions.

I was thinking about your son and his down time. It occurs to me that there are others with down time that might want projects to work on. Perhaps there are charities to donate the fixables to. It seems to me that I gave a bunch of beads and shells to a prison once so that they could make gifts of jewelry for there families for Christmas.

Peace to you and to your son. Pass to him our gratitude for his service.

[Ziggy Tiffany]

I make lampwork beads and I'm saving the yucky ones and the broken beads to make a beaded tile stepping stone at the bottom of the front steps.
Ziggy

[Jennifer Gerard]

You're wonderful! I love that idea. Attach a photo, so we can see your front step.

[Suzy B]

Hi,
I save my broken and cracked beads to do small mosaic projects with. I have completed a picture frame that sits on my desk. I even used half beads, gluing the broken side down. It works great.
Susan

[www.rockglenbeads.etsy.com]

This is a very good question, as I too have tonnes after almost 30 years collecting, designing and selling gemstones, fingings and supplies.
I just like you have kept them, thinking one day I will come up with something. My best idea so far is that I might one day add them to a broken china mosaic. I also have lots of that.
I sometimes think it would be best to simply let go and put them in the trash as it is hard enough finding space for all the good things I have....little space left for broken beads, if you know what I mean.
Then there is the issue of...broken beads! Not sure I really want to invest a lot of time in a project using damaged, broken or sub-standard materials. I can't help but think there is a special place in Heaven for them if I simply give them a respectable burial.
So hard to throw them out...loving beads as I do!