Glass Beads

Often brilliantly colored and, oh so versatile, these beads are both beautiful and inexpensive. Certain handmade glass beads made by artisans can be quite expensive as they are truly one-of-a-kind and are often time consuming to make. There are a variety of classifications of glass beads including lampwork (made via an open torch), pressed beads (made by pressing glass into a special mold), and millefiori beads which are characterized by rather intricate and detailed patterns often consisting of abstract flower designs. Also available are vintage glass beads that tend to have a unique character of their own due to their age. Figurative glass beads come in a variety of themes including animals, fruits, vegetables, and more. These beads tend to be easier to work with as their stringing holes tend to be uniform in size. Glass beads tend to be a good choice for the beginning stringer.