
Glass beads have been used from making
the ancient jewelry of Babylon and Egypt to today's trendier jewelry. These
beads are widely used in the making of jewelery owing to it's amazingly
detailed work that come with a natural fluidity. Designers manufacture
jewelry glass beads, having a very specific creative concept in mind. Glass
beads are produced in a very large quantity both in factories and by cottage
industries to fulfill the rising demands of jewelery industry.
Techniques
Glass beadwork for making jewelery consists of really intricate designs
that is only limited by the imagination and creativity of the maker. Most
often, they are strung, but on occasion they are wired to a mesh backing
which is called the "collage" technique of jewelry making. The
collage technique is most often used for broaches or earrings. Glass beads
are made more beautiful when mixed together with gemstone beads and some
metal beads for accent.
Popular Forms
Glass beads are available in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and shapes
that make them a great element in one's jewelry supplies. An added benefit
to using glass beads in jewelry making is their low cost. Jewelery makers
find a wide selection of shapes of glass beads including flowers, leaves,
cathedral beads also known as "window beads", pyramids, bicones,
stars, hearts and coins. The various finishes in which glass bead jewelry
are found include shiny and pearlescent appearance, beads that have a hole
or center color, oil-polished, iridescent, very shiny and polished looking
on the surface.