Beyond Macrame - Beads

A bead is a small, decorative object that includes a hole for threading or stringing beads together.  Beads come in all shapes and sizes, and can be used for any number of applications.  Beads can be made from a wide selection of materials, ranging from the common plastic, glass, and stone to pearl, coral, clay, ceramic and gemstone minerals.  There are many different types of beads, but perhaps the most common ones include pressed glass beads, faux natural beads, Lucite beads and the increasingly popular fusible beads.

Faux natural beads

Often beads are created to look like a more expensive original material, particularly in the instances of faux pearls and imitation rocks, minerals, and gems. Precious metals and ivory are also simulated.

Lead crystal beads

Lead crystal beads are cut crystal beads created with high-tech fine machinery. Thanks to this state of the art machine cut processing the crystal products achieve outstanding geometric properties and superior visual qualities. Many lead crystal beads are heightened with surface finishes. Aurora Borealis, or AB, is a very common coating that gives the bead a rainbow like sheen.

Lucite beads

Lucite is a term that commonly refers to many plastic beads. Even so, Lucite is among the many brands used to refer to Polymethyl methacrylate. This polymer was amongst the first plastics derived from petrochemicals. DuPont scientists developed Lucite in 1931 when researching the high-pressure technology developed for ammonia production. The polymer’s transparent appearance and its durability were far superior to other plastics. Lucite was hugely popular during World War II and used in windshields, and other parts of airplanes.  After the war ended, DuPont commercialized it for use in an assortment of ornamental and practical products, such as lamps, hairbrushes and jewelry.

Pressed glass beads

Pressed glass beads are made by pressing hot glass into a cast to give the bead its shape. Frequently pressed beads are made utilizing machines that stamp the shape from the liquefied glass. The forms can have holes punched in almost any direction. The CzechRepublic is the primary producer of pressed beads, although India and China also produce significant amounts.

Fusible beads

Fusible beads are  colored beads that are positioned on a peg board with a firm plastic backing to create pictures and designs before being melted together using a hot clothes iron. Fusible beads come in many different colors, and can be opaque, transparent, or even feature glittery sparkles.