Glass Beads: A Decor And A Gem Combined

​One of the fun toys we got really enjoyed back our childhood years are marbles. Did you know that those marbles may be accessories that adds beauty and prestige on jewelries? Yes, the glass beads are like gems, too. Stunning and outstanding revelation, indeed! 

The most interesting fact about this cuties are that they used to be things for boys. They resemble marbles, which boys played with during their kiddo days. They are small balls that they throw over the other with the objective of hitting that of the opponent’s and taking them out inside a box. The box is drawn over on dirt or sand. It is an outdoor and physical game, mostly played by young ones in Asia.

These one of a kind and artistic decorations are made out of glass; hence the derivation of their name. Although by referring back to their history, the first cited records of these beads were made out of clay. The Egyptians were the first to discover their beauty and thanks to them! We are continuing their brilliant legacy.

Now, let’s look a few of the different types of glass beads:

• Wound glass beads

This are ones exposed to high temperature in order to make them easily drawn out into a steel wire or mandrel coated in a clay slip. While they are hot, they are shaped and manipulated with other raw materials such as graphite. This type are the marbles and they are the ones used to design lamps.

• Drawn glass beads

Among the types of glass beads, this must be the oldest one. They were believed to be used since 2nd century CE. The process of making such is vast, but they all have something in common -- they are all pulled into a strand out of a gather of glass in order for them to bore a hole in the middle. The most common of this type is the seed bead, a small bead manufactured in large bulks.

• Molded beads

These are creatively crafted, molded beads. They are manufactured costing low labor expenses. These beads are manufactured using a complex tool because of its patterned and intricately formed designs. These type of beads are famous in 19th and early 20th century at Africa because of their tribal and ethnic variations and designs such as corals and lion’s teeth.

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