Bits

All things I buy, I buy because they're lovely and/or useful. Sometimes they're useful, however, as a simple asset.

Take beads. They come in such as range of materials that the mere thought of them makes even this treasure hunting Bunny quail. But the same dread that we have as finders also gets the sellers. And, to be honest, the easiest bead to identify is the gold bead - a simple push with your thumbnail will crease it, and since many necklaces are clasp-less, they're easy to spot. (Don't try this if it isn't worth your while to buy the now-damaged piece, though - it takes about 65 of the smallest beads for a gram, I'm just sayin'.)

Once you have it, be careful! Herding a dozen tiny cats is easier than corralling those beads. Plus, unless you plan to reuse them, you want them flat so your scrap guy doesn't want to shoot you (because he needs to pour them out to weigh them, remember.)

Here's the trick: put your necklace into a lunch bag before you cut the string (to prevent runaway beads) then dismantle it inside the bag (the ones with no clasps have fewer knots). Once done, pull the much-bigger stone beads out (they'll sell separately) and grab a metal (not silver) thimble. Yes, a thimble - the indentations will keep the bead relatively stable. Then put it on a magazine or cutting board (not a table) and just push.

Happy hunting!