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Beading Tools, Materials and Finishes - Have In Mind The Finished Product

The range of beads available today is just amazing, totally mind blowing. You will find it really makes sense to get out and about and personally check out the types of beads offered. Don't decide immediately (unless it's love at first sight), take your time and study the beads, their materials and finishes. See them, touch them, feel them. Discover your passion. You'll find your are inexplicably attracted to some beads and left cold by others. Why? Who knows? Like many things it's totally in the eye (or heart) of the beholder.

Now, having been overwhelmed by simply looking, it's time to get some understanding of the beading materials and finishes available.

Why are some beads more expensive than others? Apart from commercial pricing variations, like wholesale versus retail, and bulk discounts, the price is directly affected by the base materials and the exterior finish of the beads. In other words, raw materials and workmanship involved in its creation. It's obvious that a sterling silver bead than a bead made from a natural seed. What may not be immediately clear is the more complex the outer finish, meaning the more the bead is "worked or processed", the more expensive it will be. For example a plain glass bead will be much cheaper than a faceted crystal one. Another forgotten aspect is color. Some colors are more expensive to produce, e.g., red, pink and gold may contain real gold to produce the color itself, and are therefore more expensive.

The good news is that coloring agents are usually part of the base material itself, making the bead extremely colorfast. Beads which are coated, like some faux pearls, may experience peeling over time. Generally a good rule of thumb is to buy the best quality beads you can afford. If you are in doubt about whether a bead is coated, ask your retailer, after all you don't want to experience the disappointment of seeing your work of art deteriorate.

BEADING MATERIALS DESCRIPTION

GLASS

Glass beads come in almost any shape you can imagine, round, rondelle, oval, flat oval, disc, cube, pear, bicone, star, heart, animals, tube, button, leaf, drop etc. All can be either smooth or faceted. Glass beads vary in size from large 30mm x 16mm feature beads to tiny seed beads. Some people favor beads with flatter shapes, rather than round, as this means more of the bead color or design is visible. Seed beads are described by their size and shape. Sizes are described as 15/0, 11/0, 8/0, 6/0 - the higher the number the smaller the bead. Shapes are called round, square, triangle, tube (bugle beads). All are available in a variety of finishes.

CRYSTAL

Usually cut with facets, very sparkling and reflective. Like glass beads, crystal is available in an array of colors, shapes and sizes.

GEMSTONE BEADS

Formed from natural precious or semi-precious gemstone materials, like agate, amazonite, amber, amethyst, amertrine, apatite, aquamarine, adventurine, bloodstone, carnelian, cat's eye, citrine and many more natural gemstone types. Cost varies depending on quality, availability and cut. The gemstone beads you buy may have been enhanced in some way, like dyeing or heat treated to alter color. Reputable retailers will readily give you this information. Turquoise, in particular, may be "stabilized" to harden it. Naturally occurring "perfect" turquoise is very expensive. Shapes include those described above, plus tumbled, nuggets, heishi, graduated, chips and more.

BEADING TOOLS FROM THE SEA

Beads are made from abalone, other shells, coral, and of course natural pearls (from fresh water or the sea).

OF NATURE
Seeds, wood, horn, bone, bamboo, fossils and nuts.

METAL

Sterling silver, plated silver, gold, rolled gold, vermeil (usually sterling silver base thickly plated with gold or platinum), brass, nickel, copper, zinc alloy and pewter. Antiqued versions of these. Stainless steel, surgical steel and some newer metals like nobium.

CLOISONNE

Colorful, patterned cloisonne beads are made by placing fine wires on the surface of a metal bead. The spaces formed by the fine wire are filled with enamel and baked. Good quality cloisonne beads can be very expensive due to the multiple processes involved.

FOCAL

More a description of their size than type. These feature beads can be made from any material.

PENDANTS

Like focal beads, pendants are designed to be the center of attention and can be made of a variety of materials or combination of materials.

DONUTS

Just like the name suggests, these are flattened round shapes with a hole in the center. Frequently made from semi-precious gemstone material, like agate or quartz.

CABOCHON

The beads with no hole. They require a setting to surround them. Modern cabochon setting which simply "click" together are now available.

DESCRIPTION OF FINISH

"AB" Means Aurora Borealis. Looks like a rainbow tint on the surface of a bead. A finish admired by many beaders.

APOLLO

Crystal coated with full color and half silver (or bronze of copper) mirror finish. Usually available in fire polished beads only. Creates visual interest without being too flashy.

AZURA

Antique half coating. Usually available in fire polished beads only.

COPPER LINED, SILVER LINED, GOLD LINED

Transparent beads with the inside of the hole lined with copper, silver or gold. Usually only available in seed beads.

IRIS

An oil look on an opaque surface, imagine oil on water rainbow colors.

LAMPWORK

Glass beads which have been decorated with molten glass to form any type of pattern, both inside and covering the bead. Lampwork beads can have a smooth or bumpy exterior finish.

LUSTERED

A metallic sheen, available in opaque or transparent glass beads.

MATT

A frosted, dull low luster surface.

MILKY

Semi translucent, opal type look.

PEARLIZED

Shiny pearly, subtle surface look.

SILK

Opaque and shiny.

SATIN

Soft, low luster, or satin-like appearance.

TRANSPARENT

See through beads which readily transmit light.

TWO COLOR

Transparent beads with the inside hole lined in one color, and another color on the outside surface.

STRIPED

Two or more opaque colors appear vertically on the bead.

WHITE HEART

Beads with an inner core of white glass which provides a crisp background to show the purity of an overlaid color.

Knowledge of bead materials and finishes will empower you to purchase confidently and make good choices. But technical knowledge isn't everything, at the end of the day it doesn't matter what it's called, all that matters is what appeals to you. Take care to ensure the wearers comfort when choosing beads with bumpy or angular (like gemstone chips) finishes.

Mary Johnson is owner of the beading supplies site where you can get quality beading beads, beading tools and more at great prices. She also provides excellent crafts and hobbies ideas and information at her site.

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