Praseodymium is surprisingly cheap for so strange an element ($200 or
so the kilo), and has an attractive greeny-blue patina; so casting
decorative beads from it doesn't seem too absurdly ridiculous an idea
(though it may emerge that the overlap between chemistry geeks and
wearers of beaded jewellery is empty).

It's a bit reactive, however; melting under argon doesn't seem _that_
impossible, but I don't think it would be at all safe to wear
praseodymium next to the skin.

Is there any standard way of getting a really durable transparent
overcoating by basically physical means (IE mechanical rather than
chemical adhesion)? I suppose whatever process is used to embed
objects in lucite for commemorative plaques might work, but then
you've got a lucite bead with a weird green-metal blob in the
middle, rather than an apparently-metal bead.

Tom (clearly doesn't know what he's letting himself in for)