Last week we started looking at different glass bead types. This week we will finish our look at glass beads by exploring a few of the other types available.




Millefiori – Millefiori is Italian for ‘thousand flowers’. Millefiori beads are easy to spot by the flowers that make up the pattern in the glass. Some Millefiori actually only have a couple of flowers, but the style is still the same.




Fused – Fused glass is made taking pieces of glass and melting them together. Many patterns and creations can be made by adding frits or dichroic pieces. Some Lampwork artists turn ‘oops’ beads into fused glass pieces. Fused glass is created without a hole, so unless being used as a cabochon it needs to be drilled or have a bail attached with strong adhesive.



Czech – Czech beads refers to beads made in the Czech Republic. They are considered to be some of the best beads available. There are many different types and shapes available, including rondelles, faceted, rosebuds and firepolished. Czech beads also include glass pearls and smooth rounds known as druks, as well as seed beads.



Swarovski – Swarovski is in a class of its own when it comes to beads. They have a level of sparkle that adds a certain something special to creations. Their beads are glass crystal, crystal is glass, but not glass can be called crystal. Crystal has a particular level of lead content. It should be noted that there are laws in the United States (and potentially other countries) regarding the use of Swarovski (and other lead containing jewellery parts) in children’s jewellery.

These articles are by no mean exhaustive of all the different types of glass beads available, but they are a good starting point, especially for a beginner in the beading world.
 
 
Photos courtesy of:
Millefiori: Garden of Glass
Fused: Galaxy Glass Studio
Czech: Solivio
Swarovski - LythaStudios

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Bead Types - Glass Beads: Part 2
3 February 2010, 6:30 am
Source: Jennifer Mercer, Handmade News Columnist
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