Types of Beads

Millefiori Beads: Millefiori or Mosaic beads are made from colourful glass canes, which are pre-made from a variety of vibrant colours. The Millefiori canes are created by pulling molten glass, initially laid out in a mosaic pattern, into long thin glass rods. Millefiori means "thousand flowers" in Italian. When cut the glass reveals the beautiful Mosaic designs within. These Mosaic slices are then placed onto a bead or other Murano art glass, which is why in Italy beads called Mosaic beads are the ones commonly referred to as Millefiori beads.

Lampwork Lampwork beads are handmade by skilled artisans who work molten glass around a wire or mandrel to shape and add colour and design components. Since they are handmade, each bead is a unique work of art. Variance in size, colour and shape should be expected in lampworked items. This particular bead was made by the talented American bead artist, John Olsen.

Marea: One-half gold with a rainbow finish, the other half plain glass.

Silver Foil Transparent or translucent bead in which thin slices of .925 silver or 24 carat gold foil have been trapped within the body. As the foil is inside the bead, it will not peel or chip away.

Venetian Glass Venetian glass refers to glass beads manufactured in the region of Venice, Italy, one of the cradles of world glass making. Venetian glass beads made in Italy are some of the most beautiful beads in the world. Glass artisans in Venice often come from generations of glass working talent and have unparalleled skills in beadmaking. The quality of Venetian glass and the originality of the work are why these beads are priced at such a premium.

Antique Style Plastic beads coated with a metal finish.

Pressed Glass Century-old method of pressing glass into steel molds which are then fired in a kiln, resulting in uniform bead shapes. Most pressed glass is made in the Czech Republic, often by small family businesses who have been making beads for years.

Dichroic GlassThe fusion of micro-thin layers of metal oxides to the glass. As the transmitted colour is different than the reflected colour, the glass takes on an iridescent, glowing appearance. The bead shown is from the range of the superlative glass artist, Paula Radke.

Cloisonné A technique of bending and attaching wire in a desired pattern to a metal framework, then filling the spaces with enamel and firing. Probably invented in the Middle East, cloisonné has been highly perfected by the Chinese, the Japanese, and the French

Swarovski Crystal and Glass Pearls Crystal glass contains at least 30% lead, in order to produce a highly refractive quality.

I use a lot of Swarovski crystal and glass pearls, internationally accepted as the finest quality glass and crystal in the world. Swarovski is an Austrian family owned business that was started in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. His father taught him the craft of crystal cutting at an early age.

Czech Fire-Polished Glass Imported from Prague, in the Czech Republic, these beads are machine faceted and then polished by glazing inside a red-hot oven. This gives them beautiful, glistening colours with a "softer" look and a smoother feel. There is a great history of glass production in the Czech Republic. Not only are beads produced in factories, but many families practice the skilled art of glass making, ensuring a large catalogue of individual designs.

Beaded Bead Beaded beads are made by weaving one tiny bead a time to create a larger bead. All the beaded beads on this web site have been made by me. I almost always use rocaille beads, although with this example I have used freshwater pearls for the “petals”.

Striped Goldstone Glass impregnated with stripes of copper.

Rondell A doughnut-shaped bead of precious or base metal that is used as a spacer or an accent in stringing applications