Glass Beads

There are a number of different methods used to make glass beads such as moulded beads, wound beads, crystal beads or drawn glass beads to name a few.

So we will look briefly at how these particular glass beads are made.

Moulded Glass Beads

Moulded glass beads were originally made by pressing the hot glass in a pair of tongs called mould tongs and therefore setting them to the shape of the mould. A fine iron bar is then pushed through the bead before it is set to make the hole in it for threading. Now the bead will be removed from the iron bar and set to one side to cool down. However, these days the moulded beads are made by automated machinery which takes the glass powder and heats it via high pressure and then drills holes through the beads before they are set.

Wound glass beads are created by winding the hot glass around a wire made from steel and then later shaped using tools made from marble, graphite or wood. Some beads are pushed into moulds when they are still hot, and then patterns are created on them by using thin rods to create a decorative pattern.

Crystal Glass Beads

Crystal beads are made by mixing lead oxide or lead to silica sand and then adding this mixture to the glass mix. This creates a very delicate looking bead that weighs heavier than a glass bead. So although they sparkle more than ordinary glass beads, they are heavier to wear.

Glass beads that are drawn are made by pulling a strand of glass from a mass of glass so that a centre void or bubble is created. This central void or hole through the bead will become the hole for stringing the glass beads.

There are many other types of glass beads such as lampwork beads, murano beads from Italy, Venetian beads, dichroic beads or Chinese glass beads and we will explore some of those in further articles.

Here a some other beads websites that I found for you to browse. Thank you for visiting Beads Galore


Artbeads.com Collaborates with Ubisoft® on an Innovative Video ...
Bead Handbook for Jewelry and Crafts
Where to Find Jewelry-Making Supplies Online
Jewelry Making : About Beading Supplies - YouTube
Beading Supplies - a set on Flickr
How Can I Help the Art Program? | UW Medicine Seattle

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