JEWELLERY BEADS

Walking into the beading section of your craft store can be a wonderful and overwhelming experience.  So many colors, textures, sizes and shapes.  There are many types of beads differing in material, shape, size and cost.  Mixing and matching different types and colors can yield incredibly beautiful beaded patterns.

Lets explore some of the more common beads used in jewellery making.

GLASS – A personal favorite, glass beads are man-made, therefore they come in an endless variety of shapes, sizes and colors.  Lamp work beads are handmade by artisans by wrapping melted glass around cool glass rods.  This creates beautiful texture.  Seed beads are most common.  They often come from Czech Republic or Japan.  They are relatively inexpensive and quite versatile.  Seed beads come in hundreds of colors.

CRYSTAL – Crystal beads are often used in place of gemstones as they are a less expensive alternative but still exhibit a sparkling effect.  Crystal beads have a more uniform and consistent appearance because they are manufactured by machines.  Crystals from Czech Republic come in a wide variety of color, shape and size, and are less costly than Austrian Swarovski crystals.

SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES – Semi-precious stones such as amethyst, agate, jade, turquoise and many others lend a touch of class to a piece of jewellery.  They are often more expensive than other beads or stones.  Shop for heavy stones that are cool to the touch and not completely uniform in color to make sure you’re getting the real thing.

NATURAL MATERIALS – Several naturally occurring materials have been used to make beads.  Pearls have been used as adornment for thousands of years.  They range in color from white to pink, gold to black.  Amber is a natural material which may be yellow to dark brown, translucent or opaque.  Coral is found in the ocean and may be several colors including pink, red and black.  Shells are used in whole or pieces.  They have also have machined shells to specific shapes or sizes.  Wood is a very versatile material that can be shaped and carved into beautiful designs.

CLAY – Clay or ceramic beads are created to look like nearly anything.  Made and molded from polymer or natural clay, these beads can be all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors and textures.  You may even see clay beads shaped as animals, fruit, flowers and more.

METAL – Metal beads come in several shapes, sizes and costs.  They can range from inexpensive metal alloys to copper, pewter, silver and gold plated.  Metal beads are often used as ‘spacers’ to fill in between other colored beads.

PLASTIC – Plastic beads are fairly inexpensive and come in almost any color or shape you can imagine.  Because they are manufactured, the variety of plastic beads is nearly limitless.  Like clay beads they can be molded into unique shapes.  Some are even made to mimic more expensive beads.