Round Beads… Bringing Back that Retro Graduated Style!
First on the beading agenda of the new year… making a necklace to wear to a sock hop! The hop is happening at my son’s preschool and it’s a benefit to accumulate socks for children in need. The price of admission is to bring socks. Cute, hm? Well, along with my bobby socks I’m going to need a graduated necklace to wear while I’m rockin’ round the clock. Those graduated necklace strands made from simple but beautiful round bead got me thinking. 
 
About Moonglow!
Silky and mysterious, moonglow beads were at the height of popularity back in the 1950’s. They sure have their own personality in the bead world today. There isn’t really anything else like them being made. The moonglow bead is a variation of Lucite and was first created by DuPont in 1937 as a solution to replace Bakelite, which was much more expensive to make. I really love the vintage strands of moonglow in a single color. Did you know that we have an amazing collection of Lucite moonglow? Just search for it by name and you’ll be surprised at how many choices you have in color, shape and size! Pictures do not do this bead justice. I could easily be tempted to create my necklace from beads like this. Sooooooo tempted. But wait!
 
More than just moonglow!
There’s an amazing collection of Lucite beads that look fantastic in this style. The opaque round Lucite is so 1950-esque, and to modernize it up a bit I would gather a few strands in a bigger palette of colors… and graduate them to perfection. Or, the monotone brilliance of a single color is so retro-classic. Hard to pass up. 
 
Classic graduated pearls
Years ago I received my grandmother’s pearls as a gift. She had worn them with a classic sweater style back in the days of her school years in the 1930’s. They’re made of glass and are the color of creamy alabaster after all these years. If I wanted to take the easy way out I could just wear these. That’s no fun. So… what if the look of pearls was updated to measure up by the style trends of the world we live in now? How about pearls that graduate traditionally from small to large, but are a plethora of colors, too! Freshwater pearls come in many colors, and Swarovski has a lot of gorgeous glass pearls in many colors. This would match so many outfits and can be dressed up or down, also. 
 
Speaking of Pearls…
Remember Barbara Bush and her triple strand of faux pearls popping up on endless supplies of suits, dresses and sweaters during her 4 years as our First Lady? She was always up front about her pearls being costume jewelry when asked about them. Well, what about the multi-strand style of graduated beads? They’re awesome! Take this beautiful necklace from A. J. Rae Fields… a triple strand graduated necklace done up from some killer amber beads. How about this style in something bright and colorful! Or mother of pearl? Or how about metal! I’m getting the itch to grab some Softflex and start stringing with wild abandon!
 
Swarovski Crystals!
A strand of shimmering crystal in a graduated length of blissful gorgeousness should do the trick. Holy cow… a necklace like this would fix any bad hair day, burnt pot roast day, or flat tire day! Swarovski makes their beads in so many sizes that it would be so easy to whip up a necklace of twinkling perfection! A shameless must have for your jewelry box.
 
Pulling it all together
I believe this is enough brainstorming to get my creative juices flowing for my necklace design. I had to share with you one more idea, but its more of a casual one. This multi-strand graduated length seed bead necklace from Whitaker’s Whimsies made me smile, smile, smile, and then smile some more. Made me think of seed beads today and how the finishes and colors are available in most sizes. So you could graduate a necklace from size 15.0 up to about 6.0. Very cool! And colorful. Fun and happy, the colors of beads today are some of the best!

 
“I wore the same strand of graduated pearls through school, graduation, my wedding and I even had them on for the birth of my twin boys. They are a bit tattered after all these years, but priceless to me.” ~ Caroline Minaskous, a lady who will never part with her pearls   
 
 
 
Resources worth checking out!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/23295844/miriam-vintage-beaded-necklace
http://www.ajraefields.com/
http://jewelryd.com/d/south-sea-shell-graduated-multi-color-pearl-necklace/4731134483
http://www.whitaker-farms.com/Jewelry.htm
http://www.etsy.com/listing/26162826/vintage-swarovski-starlight-necklace
http://www.susanknoppenamels.com/index.htm
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65517133/vintage-recycled-lucite-beads-moonglow
http://www.stylelist.com/gallery/pearls/494596/