BIO + PRESS - AM NEW YORK - JUNE 13, 2006

Do-it-yourself summer bling
By LAUREN JOHNSTON
amNY.com

June 13, 2006
Summer clothes reveal more skin, and that means the chance to really flaunt summer jewelry - after all, nothing sets off sparkly gems like a great tan.

The shelves at Saks, Macy's and all the little SoHo boutiques are lined with hand-crafted, and usually higher-priced summer baubles, but we say - why buy when you can make your own?

Designing and making the jewelry yourself is fun and a great way to get chic looks for less.

For example, we found a lovely three-strand turquoise necklace by Stephen Dweck at Bergdorf Goodman for $875.

Then we discovered a similar design at the NoLiTa shop Femmegems for $138 -- a store where customers choose from a dazzling array of stones, then either craft their own pieces on the spot, or pay a $15 fee to have one of the friendly staffers take care of assembly.

But there are lots of other options when it comes to do-it-yourself (DIY) accessorizing:

Little known to many city-dwellers, along with the diamond, fashion and flower districts, New York has a bead district located in and around Sixth Avenue roughly between West 30th and West 39th streets.

Wholesale retailers sell beads and gemstones individually or by the strand and also the wire, clasps, earring hooks and tools needed to build your own bling.

There are many online resources with detailed step-by-step instructions for making necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more. Here are some we like:

Fire Mountain Gems: http://www.firemountaingems.com
House of Gems: http://www.houseofgems.com/
Lapidary Journal: http://www.lapidaryjournal.com/stepbystep
Jane's Fibers & Beads http://janesfiberandbeads.com

A FEW SPOTS TO FIND BEADS:

Femmegems 280 Mulberry St. (212) 625-1611, and in Henri Bendels on Fifth Ave., http://www.femmegems.com
Designer's Beads, Inc. 1180 Broadway (between 28th & 29th streets), (212) 779-9888
Bhens Products Co., Inc. 1231 Broadway (at 30th St.), (212) 532-6820
York Novelty Imports Beads 10 West 37th Street, (212) 594-7040, www.yorkbeads.com
Beads World 1384 Broadway, (212) 302-1199, www.beadsworldusa.com
Bruce Frank 215 West 83rd Street, (212) 595-3746, www.brucefrankbeads.com
American Bead Inc. 115 W 30th St., (212) 736-1120

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