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Chinese New Year
MrBead is based in Hong Kong, where the main annual holiday is Chinese New Year.  Called "Spring Festival" in Mainland China.  Lion dancers and carnivals take to the streets and fireworks to the skies. MiMi, Nigel and friends enjoy a roof top BBQ.  See a video of one of our past New Years' here. Picture below is the God of Wealth, Chinese New Year's Day in McDonald's, Fanling. Everything in Hong Kong is to do with money!

Hong Kong isn't always hot, last week was the coldest for 40-years with temperatures going down to 2c.  Believe me, this feels colder than it sounds as we have very little heating. There were traffic jams up the hills as people rushed to take photos of the frost! I hope this cold spell finishes soon and goes back up to the usual of around 16c this time of year.

In Mainland China many people work inside large prosperous cities in the South East, a long way from their poor native village homes.  Over Spring Festival hundreds-of-millions commute back to their village to be with the family.  It's always a big strain on the railway and airways, and often made worse by severe snow cutting off power lines and runways.

The high-spirited Year of the Monkey begins on 8th February 2016. Each animal in the Chinese zodiac is divided into elements with slightly different characteristics - this new year is a Red Fire Monkey. Fire brings more energy to the animal, so magnifying its behavior.

Monkey People
Monkeys are popular, naughty, very competitive, forceful, and control freaks. They're playful, clever, imaginative, crafty, witty, and have a magnetic personality. As well as emotionally truthful, engrossed in the opposite sex, and intrusive at finding unconventional solutions to old problems. Their self assurance makes them fast learners and determined leaders.  However, monkeys are also reckless, stubborn, aggressive and selfish.

If you are a Monkey
You should be lucky in everything except health this year. Improve your lifestyle and well-being, especially in finance where you enjoy a competitive edge. Wealth and career are positive, but be cautious when investing.  

Your perfect partner is a rat or an ox, although you flourish with a rabbit or a dragon - you are least harmonious with a tiger or pig person. Your ambition and drive will do you well in finance, with a career in sales, marketing or advertising. Monkeys also prosper in law, medicine, writing, and many are famous movie stars. 

Predictions for this Year of the Monkey
This will be a year of optimism and adventure. Anything can happen. Everything will be fast, including settlement of conflicts. Although people will be more boisterous, they also become more docile and open to change.

Travel accidents or catastrophic events are probable. Many will die. However, its a time to investigate, discover, create and take risks. Luck can strike any time. Seize opportunity and go for it!  Break the routine.  However, monkeys can be unpredictable and jealous.

Wealth will reward risk takers because of energy from the fire element. People and money will whiz around the globe even faster with business prospering, yet political upheaval will slow.  Courage and originality will succeed - but you need to be able to hang onto the ride even if you have to bluff your way through. Keep fit.

Monkey Years
If you were born during these dates, then you are a Monkey:
20/02/1920 to 07/02/1921, 06/02/1932 to 25/01/1933,  25/01/1944 to 12/02/1945, 12/02/1956 to 30/01/1957, 30/01/1968 to 16/02/1969, 16/02/1980 to 04/02/1981, 04/02/1992 to 22/01/1993, 22/01/2004 to 08/02/2005, 08/02/2016 to 27/01/2017.

Famous Monkey People
Bette Davis, Charles Dickens, Danny De Vito, Diana Ross, Jeff Beck, Elizabeth Taylor, Leonardo da Vinci, Pope John Paul II, Harry Truman, Ian Fleming, Joan Crawford, Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Page, Mel Gibson, Mick Jagger, Nelson Rockefeller, Peter O’Toole, Little Richard, Rod Stewart, Will Smith.

Monkey Likes
Colours: white, blue & gold. Birthstone: Peridot.
Western zodiac equivalent: Leo.
Lucky numbers: 4, 9,1, 7, 8. 

For your luck Chinese jade monkey pendant click MrBead.co.uk or MrBead.com

Amethyst: The Royal Purple Pope Stone  

What is Amethyst?
Amethyst is the gemstone for February, and for those born under the zodiac of Pisces. Amethyst is known as the Royal Purple Pope Stone, the purple variety of quartz. If it wasn't so abundant, amethyst would be very expensive. Its name comes from the Greek, meaning not drunken. Perhaps due to a belief that amethyst would sober the effects of alcohol. However, I find this doesn't work!

Amethyst is always purple, but comes in shades of pale lilac to deep purple. Deeper colours are more valuable - milky amethyst is the cheapest. Amethyst is mined in South American, but the best in Africa. Very dark amethyst, mostly in small sizes, also comes from Australia.
                     
Mythology
According to Greek mythology, Dionysus, the God of Intoxication was angered by an insult from a mere mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. Diana turned Amethyst into a statue of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful statue. The god's tears stained the quartz purple, creating the gem we know today!

The Church & Crown
Purple has long been considered a royal colour, featured in the British Crown Jewels and a favorite of ancient Egyptian royalty. Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that "amethyst could dissipate evil thoughts and accelerate intelligence".

Because amethyst was believed to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety, it was very important in the ornamentation of churches in the middle ages. Amethyst is still the stone of bishops' who often wear amethyst rings. Even in Tibet, amethyst is considered sacred to the Buddha.

 Benefits
Amethyst's sobering and calming qualities is why it's considered to have the power to purify and bring peace. It's also believed to boost lower energies higher, and heal at all levels of mind, body and spirit. Amethyst is especially useful to calm overworked minds as it brings mental strength, stability, and vigor, and reduces negativity.

Amethyst also supports all that is transitional. Especially death and rebirth - providing peace of mind when a loved one is lost. As an elixir, amethyst can help toothache, bone and joint discomforts and problems with the stomach and digestion. It has also been known taken for blood disease and balance blood sugar.

In yoga, amethyst aids the 6th Chakra, the Third Eye, center of the body's spiritual power. Because amethyst heightens awareness, both spiritual and psychic - increasing intuition and psychic development and transition from a normal state of consciousness to a deeper awareness.


Amethyst Jewellery Design
Amethyst jewellery sells well because it has never gone out of fashion. In fact new-agers have made it more popular than ever. It's dark royal colour oozes style. Amethyst goes well with silver, clear crystal and other subtle colours. If you make hand-crafted jewellery; design matching necklaces, bracelets, and earrings to offer more choice to your customers. Don't overpower your design with too much of the gemstone - add lots of silver spacers and findings to balance.
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To see our amethyst beads click MrBead.com or MrBead.co.uk

How to make an Amethyst Necklace

These are the steps of MiMi making an amethyst necklace using our amethyst nuggets and fancy drop beads (numbers are as pictures). 
Note the crystal rondell beads and gold stardust used as spacers.

1) Get all materials ready: nylon wire, crimping beads & 5mm stardust gold spacers, crystal rondell beads, crimping pliers, wire cutter,
catches, all beads.
2) Slide 2mm crimp bead onto wire and insert wire into eye on clasp
3) Loop and connect crimp bead.
4 & 5) Crimp attached to eye on clasp, and squeezing crimp bead closed.

6 & 7) Thread the beads into the wire. 
8) Repeat steps 2 to 5 to secure the other end of the necklace.
9) Cutting off excess wire
10) Finished.

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