People who love jewelry and blessed with an eye for matching beads may consider going into bead jewelry design. There are a variety of materials from which a bead can be made, including sterling silver, wood and pewter, natural gemstones and so much more.
The art of making bead-jewelry has been inherited by present day artists from their artistic predecessors from the past. It has flourished through ages to come to the present day thriving business. A finely crafted piece of jewelry made of beads is a highly attractive item. Its look, its ethnic feel and ease of wearing makes the bead-jewelry a highly coveted item today.
The types of beads available for making jewelry come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These are round, flat, flat round, cube shaped, flowers and animal shaped etc. The material used for beads also varies. It ranges from glass, metal, gemstones, acrylic, wooden, crystal and bone etc. The most prolific item used for bead making out of these several materials is acrylic and glass.
Acrylic Beads
All the beads made of plastic, resin, synthetic material and polymers are termed acrylic. These are light weight and inexpensive. The popular acrylic beads in demand all over the world are pony and bicones. These come in a variety of colours.
The beads made of resin are also plastic by nature with a twist to them. These are mixed with fabric and some other materials for a better look and finish. Similarly the Lucite beads are produced from a special hard plastic that exuded glassy sheen to the surface.
Crystals
The glass beads and crystal beads are similar looking and prepared in the similar process of molten material poured into a desired shape of mould. The crystals differ in the lead content and pressing methods applied. These become high-end superior quality crystals with precise facets and incredibly shiny appearances.
A variety of such beads are famous world over such as Austrian swarovski crystals famous for their quality. Czech crystal beads are also famous. Stone crystal beads made from stones are taken in its natural form to develop the sheen. Crystal beads are known for their sparkle and rainbow refraction of colours.
Glass Beads
These beads have been in existence since the Roman times. There are enough proofs from archaeological sites in Egypt and other places that gals beads were prepared millennia ago by the civilizations gone today. These beads are differentiated by the methods used in producing them. The molten glass is poured in different receptacles and cut to the desired shapes.
On this basis there are three main types of glass beads in production, viz; wound, molded and drawn beads. A variety of other processes are a mix of these or addition to a basic process. These are lamp work, dichroic, furnace and crystal beads. Czech glass beads are famous for having glass and no other mineral. Glass beads are popular for their resplendent colours and smooth sheen.
Other Beads
Metal beads are prepared with the use of die-cast; wooden beads are in demand for specially made jewelry that has a kind of ethnic touch; seeds are also famous for beads especially with Japanese and Chinese manufacturers, bone and other materials are also used for making beads. These are also famous for making specialized jewelry.
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