Composite Stone and Agate Necklace and Earrings Set

Necklace:  gorgeous Composite Stones (man made - comprised of small shards of Purple Agate and Green Agate mixed with flecks of Pyrite and resin) strung with small round natural Green Agate and Purple Agate beads - terminating in a decorative Pewter heart motif lobster clasp (length - 20", adjustable up to 22 1/2" with use of the included silver plated brass extender chain)

Earrings:  small chandelier style made of round Green Agate and Purple Agate beads and decorative Pewter beads - dangling from silver plated base metal fishhook ear wires (length - 2 1/2")

Composite Stone  - Waste not, want not.  Ever notice that some bead cuts are more expensive than others?  The price isn’t only due to differing labor costs.  It also reflects the amount of stone that is “lost” in the cutting process.  In the 1980's, these stone remnants started to find new life as composite stone.  Composite stone goes by several other names: reconstituted stones, reconstructed stones.  These terms refer to any stone created using stone remnants from the cutting process mixed with resin to create “new” stone that is cut into blocks and then turned into beads or cabochons.

The options available in composite stones are only limited by imagination.  You can find everything from wild, funky parties of color to stones with striking metallic inclusions.  Bold, contrasting color pairings or beads in solid, subtle tones.  Even though these stones are creating by adding steps to the cutting process, they offer a great savings over traditional stone.  Composite stones gives stone cutters additional revenue where they previously had a loss, so they can offer composite stones at a great price.  There is something beautiful in decreasing our environmental footprint and increasing our creative thinking.   Composite stone is the embodiment of repurposing, upcycling, and responsible environmental citizenship.

The best practices for the care and cleaning of composite stones will vary based on the materials.  It is important to remember that all composite stone uses resin and some may use dyes.  For that reason, ultrasonic and steam cleaning may destroy the integrity of the stone.