Beads

A bead is a small, decorative object that is pierced for threading or stringing. As an alternative to piercing, plastic beads may be Moulded Onto a Thread during manufacturing; these MOT beads are often used for the throw necklaces worn at Mardi Gras. Beads range in size from under a millimeter to over a centimeter or sometimes several centimeters in diameter. Glass, plastic, and stone are probably the most common materials, but beads are also made from bone, horn, ivory, metal, shell, pearl, coral, gemstones, polymer clay, metal clay, resin, synthetic minerals, wood, ceramic, fiber, paper, and seeds. A pair of beads made from Nassarius shells that are approximately 100,000 years old are thought to be the first known examples of jewelery.^[1][2] A bead is a small, decorative object. ... Image File history File links Beads. ... Image File history File links Beads. ... Yarn Spools of thread Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibers, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. ... For other uses, see Mardi Gras (disambiguation). ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter), symbol mm is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... This article is about the material. ... For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ... Rock redirects here. ... This article is about the skeletal organs. ... Highland cow, a very old long-horned breed from Scotland. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about metallic materials. ... Various seashells Danielle A shell is the hard, rigid outer covering, or integument, allanimals. ... For other uses, see Pearl (disambiguation). ... Precious coral or red coral is the common name given to Corallium rubrum and several related species of marine coral. ... For other uses, see Gemstone (disambiguation). ... Polymer clay is a sculptable material based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride. ... Metal clay, is a clay-like medium used to make jewelry, beads and small sculpture. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... Unfired green ware pottery on a traditional drying rack at Conner Prairie living history museum. ... Fiber or fibre[1] is a class o f materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread. ... For other uses, see Paper (disambiguation). ... A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... Nassarius is a genus of marine molluscs. ... Jewellery (spelled jewelry in American English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ...

Beadwork is the craft of making things with beads. Beads can be woven together with specialized thread, strung onto thread or wire, or adhered to a surface (e.g. fabric, clay). Beadwork is the art or craft of attaching beads to one another or to cloth using a needle and thread. ... For other uses, see Craft (disambiguation). ... Yarn Spools of thread Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibers, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. ... A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, elongated strand of drawn metal. ... It has been suggested that Textile be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Clay (disambiguation). ...

Types of beads

Cloisonné beads

Dichroic beads (10 mm)

Types of decorative beads include: Image File history File links Cloisonnebeads. ... Image File history File links Cloisonnebeads. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (755x1153, 193 KB) Summary close up of beads Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (755x1153, 193 KB) Summary close up of beads Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...

• Chevron beads
• Cloisonné beads
• Dichroic beads
• Ethnic beads
• Faux natural beads
• Fire-polished beads
• Furnace glass beads
• Fused glass beads
• Lampwork beads
• Lead crystal beads
• Millefiori beads
• Pressed glass beads
• Seed beads
• Shell beads
• Trade beads or Slave beads

Chevron beads Chevron beads are special glass beads, originally made for the slave trade in Africa by glassmakers in Italy. ... Cloisonné is a multi-step enamel process used to produce jewelry, vases, and other decorative items. ... DICHROIC GLASS CROSSES HANDMADE BY LOCAL ARTIST, BOB SANDOVAL == The brilliant dichroic optical properties of dichroic glass are the result of multiple micro-layers of metal oxides. ... Look up faux in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Fused glass is a term used to describe glass that has been fired (heat-processed) in a kiln at a range of high temperatures from 593º C (1100ºF) to 816º C (1500ºF). ... Lampwork beads are made by using a single fuel or dual fuel torch to heat a rod of glass and spinning the resulting thread around a metal rod covered in bead release. ... Lead crystal beads Lead crystal, (also called crystal), is lead glass that has been hand or machine cut with facets. ... Murano Millefiori Pendant Millefiori is a glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware. ... Seed beads are uniformly shaped, spheroidal beads ranging in size from under a millimetre to several millimetres. ... Various seashells Danielle A shell is the hard, rigid outer covering, or integument, allanimals. ... Slave beads (often called Trade beads) were otherwise decorative glass beads used between the 16th and 20th century as a currency to exchange for goods, services and slaves (hence the name). ...

Chevron beads

Main article: Chevron bead

Chevron Beads are special glass beads, originally made for the slave trade in Africa by glassmakers in Italy. They are composed of many consecutive layers of colored glass. The initial core is formed in a star-shaped mold, and can have anywhere between five and fifteen points. The next layer of glass conforms to that star shape. Several layers of glass can be applied, either star-shaped or smooth. After all layers have been applied, the glass is drawn out to the desired thickness and when cooled, cut into short segments showing the resulting star pattern at their ends. The ends can be ground to display the chevron pattern. Chevron beads are traditionally composed of red, blue, and white layers, but modern chevrons can be found in any color combination. Chevron beads Chevron beads are special glass beads, originally made for the slave trade in Africa by glassmakers in Italy. ... A bead is a small, decorative object. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... This article is about the material. ...

Dichroic glass beads

Increasingly, dichroic glass is being used to produce high-end art beads. Dichroic glass has a thin film of metal fused to the surface of the glass, resulting in a surface that has a metallic sheen that changes between two colors when viewed at different angles. Beads can be pressed, or made with traditional lampworking techniques. The metal coating used was originally developed by NASA for the space program. In optics, the term dichroic has two related but distinct meanings. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (IPA [ˈnæsə]) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ...

Ethnic beads

Carved Cinnabar lacquer beads

Other beads considered trade beads are those made in West Africa, by and for Africans, such as Mauritanian Kiffa beads, and Ghanaian and Nigerian powder glass beads . Other ethnic beads include Tibetan Dzi beads and African-made brass beads. Rudraksha beads are seeds that are customary in India for making Buddhist and Hindu rosaries (malas). Magatama are traditional Japanese beads, and cinnabar was often used for beads in China. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (584x702, 77 KB) Summary beads by me Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (584x702, 77 KB) Summary beads by me Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Cinnabar, sometimes written cinnabarite, is a name applied to red mercury(II) sulfide (HgS), or native vermilion, the common ore of mercury. ... In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ... Old Kiffa beads Kiffa beads are rare powder glass beads named after the Mauritanian city of Kiffa, where French ethnologist R.Mauny documented them first in 1949. ... Krobo powder glass beads, bicones The earliest powder glass beads on record were discovered during archaeological excavations at Mapungubwe, in present-day Zimbabwe, and dated to 970-1000 CE. In our time, the main area of powder glass bead manufacture is West Africa, most importantly, Ghana. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rudraksha Beads are the Original Vedic Beads of Power and that is the reason why Rudraksha have been used for thousands of years as an aid to Self Empowerment and the Fearless Life. ... A japa mala or mala is a set of prayer beads popular in India and Tibet, often with 108 beads in number. ... Magatama Magatama(Japanese: 勾玉), are curved beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jomon period. ... Cinnabar, sometimes written cinnabarite, is a name applied to red mercury(II) sulfide (HgS), or native vermilion, the common ore of mercury. ...

Faux natural beads

Often beads are made to look like a more expensive original material, especially in the case of fake pearls and simulated rocks, minerals, and gemstones. Precious metals and ivory are also imitated. For other uses, see Pearl (disambiguation). ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... For other uses, see Gemstone (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Tagua nuts from South American are used as an ivory substitute since the natural ivory trade has been restricted worldwide.

Fire polished beads (10 mm) with AB coating

Image File history File links Firebead. ... Image File history File links Firebead. ...

Fire-polished beads

"Fire polished beads from the Czech Republic are a faceted glass bead. Czech fire polish beads are made in an area called Jablonec nad Nisou. Production of glass beads in the area dates back to the 14th century and this area is well known for the manufacture of high quality glass beads. They are available in many different shapes, colors, sizes, finishes and with many different coatings also available. They offer a cost effective yet superior quality crystal suitable for many different types of beading projects. Czech fire polished beads have become so popular in recent years, primarily because they are the highest quality manufactured faceted bead available. This has helped make them one of the most favored glass beads by jewelry makers and beadworkers alike." Source http://firepolishedbeads.com Jablonec nad Nisou (-Czech, German: Gablonz an der Neiße) is a town in northern Bohemia, the second largest town of the Liberec Region. ...

They commonal come in sizes from 3 mm to 22 mm. The pattern of facets is always the same and the resulting bead is somewhat oval in the smaller sizes. The beads are glazed in a red hot oven after being machine faceted.

Furnace glass beads

Furnace glass beads

Furnace glass beads are a special type of art bead. They are made using traditional glassworking techniques from Italy that are more often used to make art glass objects. The manufacture of these beads requires a large glass furnace and annealing kiln. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (743x763, 79 KB) Summary beads by me Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (743x763, 79 KB) Summary beads by me Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...

Furnace glass beads, also called cane glass beads, are sliced from long glass rods, often decorated with stripes and other color, also known as canes.

Lampwork beads

Main article: Lampworking

Lampwork beads are made by using a torch to heat a rod of glass and spinning the resulting thread around a metal rod covered in bead release. When the base bead has been formed, other colors of glass can be added to the surface to create many designs. Lampwork glass beads. ...

Lead crystal beads (including Swarovski and Preciosa)

Swarovski crystal beads (6 mm–8 mm), pendant 3 cm

Swarovski along with Preciosa branded crystal beads are prized by jewelers and hobbyists. They are a high-lead content crystal although today production of lead-free crystal is common. Lead crystals have an incredible sparkle and clarity, and are often multi-faceted to resemble gemstones. Styles and colors go in and out of production, so vintage cuts and colors are often prized with a similarly associated price tag. Swarovski along with Preciosa bicones are the most popular crystal beads in sizes 4 mm and 6 mm. Crystal and Crystal AB are the most common colors. Other Czech companies such as PAS Jablonec make similar styles of crystal beads. Swarovski crystals, Preciosa crystals and similar leaded crystal beads are also known as machine cut crystal. Machine cut crystals are beads, chatons and other crystal items cut by hi-tech precise machines. Thanks to this state of the art machine cut processing the crystal items achieve outstanding geometry and excellent optical parameters. Many lead crystal beads are enhanced with surface coatings. Aurora Borealis, or AB, is a very common surface coating that diffuses light into a rainbow. Other common surface coatings are vitrail, moonlight, dorado, satin, star shine, heliotrope. Swarovski is the luxury brand name for the range of precision-cut crystal glass products produced by companies owned by Swarovski AG of Feldmeilen, near Zürich, Switzerland. ... Preciosa was the last album released by Selena Y Los Dinos before signing on to EMI Latin. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (616x606, 59 KB) Summary beads be me Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (616x606, 59 KB) Summary beads be me Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Swarovski is the luxury brand name for the range of precision-cut crystal glass products produced by companies owned by Swarovski AG of Feldmeilen, near Zürich, Switzerland. ... For other uses, see Crystal (disambiguation). ...

Millefiori beads

Main article: Millefiori

The millefiori technique involves the production of glass canes or rods, known as murrine, with multicolored patterns which are viewable only from the cut ends of the cane. Millefiori beads are made of plain wound glass bead cores and thin slices of cut cane (murrine) which are being pressed into the bead surface, forming mosaic-like patterns, while the glass is still hot. Another name for Millefiori bead is mosaic bead. Murano Millefiori Pendant Millefiori is a glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware. ...

Pressed glass beads

Pressed glass beads (matte finish with an AB coating)

Pressed glass beads are formed by pressing the hot glass into mold to give the bead its shape. Often pressed glass beads are made using machines that stamp the shape from the molten glass. The shapes can have holes punched in virtually any direction. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (862x183, 37 KB) Summary pressed glass beads Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (862x183, 37 KB) Summary pressed glass beads Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...

Seed beads

Main article: Seed bead

Seed beads are uniformly shaped spheroidal or tube shaped beads ranging in size from under a millimetre to several millimetres. "Seed Bead" is a generic term for any small bead. Usually rounded in shape, seed beads are most commonly used for loom and off-loom bead weaving. Seed beads are uniformly shaped, spheroidal beads ranging in size from under a millimetre to several millimetres. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... Bead weaving on a loom Bead weaving using seed beads can be done on a loom. ... Bead weaving on a loom Bead weaving using seed beads can be done on a loom. ...

Trade beads or Slave beads

Main article: Slave beads

Trade beads are various types of beads made in Europe specifically to be used in the slave trade and other trading in Africa. Chevron beads are a specific, historically important type of trade bead. Slave beads (often called Trade beads) were otherwise decorative glass beads used between the 16th and 20th century as a currency to exchange for goods, services and slaves (hence the name). ...

Hama®/Perler® Beads

These small, plastic and colorful beads are placed on a peg array with a solid plastic backing to form pictures and designs and then melted together with a clothes iron. The final flat piece of art still shows the holes of the individual beads. Hama® beads come from Denmark and Perler® beads come from the United States of America. An iron Ironing or smoothing is the work of using a heated tool to remove wrinkles from washed clothes. ...

See also

Look up bead in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

beads

• Glass beadmaking
• Beadwork

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 150 languages. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Lampwork glass beads. ... Beadwork is the art or craft of attaching beads to one another or to cloth using a needle and thread. ...

References

Beck, Horace (1928) "Classification and Nomenclature of Beads and Pendants." Archaeologia 77. (Reprinted by Shumway Publishers York, PA 1981)