[jaccarney]

i like a patterned background, myself. but i usually like it to show just a hint of the items in the background... so the background items are more for just color, mood and movement. if the background is showing other items, i think they should be half cropped out of the pic (as scott has done here) or a bit blurry using depth of field focusing... it makes it easier to concentrate on our main item (the bead)... we naturally don't look at or concentrate so much on what our subconscious sees as incomplete (half cropped out) or not easily identified (blurry a bit), but the subconscious does still recognize the 'theme', emotion or idea of the half missing or blurry backgrounds and background items.

for me; a plain gradient background is the best choice if you have a very close shot of a single bead where there is a ton of detail that you want the viewer to see... i think that a basic neutral background and strong lighting leave all the emotion to come from inside the bead.