Glass Beads | glass bead

The Glass Bead – How To Use This Exquisite Bead

The glass bead has been around ever since the Roman Empire but even to these days glass beads for jewelry are still part of the fashion and beading industry. The glass bead was even considered as a form of currency and this goes to show that their use is as old as history.

What are the many uses of glass bead?

When you hear about the glass bead, perhaps the first thing that comes to your mind is just jewelry adornment. Yes, the most common use of glass bead is to adorn and embellish fashion jewelries.

But do you know that they also have other uses aside from jewelry making? Glass beads are one of the best beads to add beauty to your homes. Glass beads radiate sparkling effects when used as a decorative material. They can be hanging around your living rooms in the form of chandeliers or they can be used to adorn your lampshades and flower vases.

And who says curtains are just made of lacy clothes? There are home owners who just love curtains made of glass beads. The glass bead is also used as ornaments for lady’s bags, lady’s purses, and even sandals or stilettos.

What are the different types of glass bead?

Glass beads come in different sizes and shapes. Pear-shaped or tear-drop shaped is my personal favorite. There are glass beads that are hand-made or hand crafted to achieve a perfect artistic effect.

1. Hand-made glass beads are commonly known as lampwork glass beads because they undergo the so-called lampwork technique before they are formed into a glass bead.

2. Glass beads which are molded using medium flames to melt the glass are called firepolished glass beads. Makers of this type of glass bead usually put metals in the mid portion of the bead to emphasize sparkling effect of the glass when combined with metal.

3. Furnace glass bead or cane glass bead is another type of glass bead that was basically made using the art of glass crafting aided with an annealing kiln.

4. Chevron beads are considered to be a special type of glass bead, and perhaps one of the oldest glass beads ever invented. The history of Chevron beads can be traced back as early as the 15^th century. This type of glass bead is made from several layers of star-shaped glasses, set aside to cool down after heating to yield a chevron pattern.

5. Millefiori glass beads will surely be the choice of people who love floral designs. This type of glass bead is the end result of heating several layers of different glasses, melting them and molding them together to create a single bead resembling a bunch of flowers.

6. Pressed glass beads are shaped with the use of molds. The glass is pressed into the mold while it is still hot to achieve the desired shape of glass bead.

There are many other exquisite variations of glass bead, including top of the line murano glass beads.

The glass bead may not seem like it fits into the category of chamilia beads, or ruby beads, or semi precious beads. It may just be a small piece of glass, but going back to the history of where and how these beads originated, they have served extremely well, and still continue helping people whether in terms of decorative purposes or in the jewelry fashion industry.

Bead lovers and fashion lovers continue to enjoy the beauty of the glass bead from one generation to another.