In this second part of our look at Bead Types we will have a quick look at the different types of glass beads that are available. As there are so many different types of glass beads I have divided it into two parts.



Lampwork – Lampwork beads are made by melting rods of glass, mostly done on a mandrel, but not always. Good quality lampwork beads will be annealed for strength. Unannealed lampwork beads are likely to break very easily, as is often the case with mass produced lampwork beads. Artisan Lampwork beads are considered the best lampwork beads and are well worth the price.





Pressed Glass – Pressed glass beads are made by pressing molten glass into molds to make a variety of different shapes, including butterflies and flowers. Probably the best known pressed glass beads are Czech ones.




Pearls – Glass pearls look like real pearls, but are uniform in shape, size and colour and have a pearlescent coating. The coating can be damaged if scratched, so care should be taken. Swarovski and Czech glass pearls are some of the best quality.





Seed Beads – There are several different types of seed beads, including cylinder, charlottes and rocailles. There is a vast variance in quality depending on the manufacturing process. Different seed beads have different uses. You can see more about this by checking out my article – Seed Beads 101

Next week I will continue to look at more glass bead types, including Millefiori and Fused.
 
Photo Credits:
Lampwork: LA Jewelry Designs
Pressed Glass: The Despina Collection
Seed Beads: Beads and Babble
Pearls: Fire Spirit Beads and Supplies

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Bead Types- Glass Beads: Part 1
28 January 2010, 5:36 am
Source: Jennifer Mercer, Handmade News Columnist
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