Bead Mania: Understanding the Differences in Beads

It is very easy to say that a bead is pretty, but do you really want to choose your jewelry based on looks alone? Whether you are making your own jewelry or buying handmade jewelry from another, you want to know that your pieces are of quality and durability. This means understanding the differences between the different types of beads before you buy.

Types of Beads

There are several different categories of beads for jewelry making. The most common of these are:

GlassMetalCrystalPlasticSemi precious stonesWood

There are a few other categories of beads as well, such as shell, bone and clay, but these are less common in handmade jewelry. Some of these have obvious differences. After all, the difference between metal and glass is like night and day. However, with other types of beads the differences may be more subtle.

Glass, Crystal, and Plastic

Glass, crystal and plastic are the three beads that cause the most confusion to amateur jewelry makers and those who look at costume jewelry. Glass, crystal and plastic beads can look very similar, and even seem similar to the touch. Plastic beads have come a long way, and are sometimes indistinguishable from glass in every way except weight.

Weight is the easiest way to tell the difference between these three beads. Glass will be heavier than plastic, and crystal will be heavier than glass. There are other differences between them as well.

Glass and crystal are much more durable than plastic. They wear better, and do not break as easily. The biggest difference between glass and crystal is cost. Crystal beads or jewelry will cost three times as much as glass beads or jewelry. The glass can be cut in such a way that it resembles crystal, and you still get that look without the high prices. However, if you want the best in handmade jewelry, you will go for crystal pieces.

Which Type is Most Durable?

Obviously, the most durable type of bead will be the metal beads. These beads can withstand a tremendous amount of pressure. They could be run over by a car and still be intact. However, depending on the type of metal, they can be heavy or expensive. Wood beads are also very durable, but are susceptible to cracking if repeatedly gotten wet and dried such as wearing jewelry in the pool or shower.

For many reasons, glass is the preferred bead type. It is durable and inexpensive. It doesn't matter if it gets wet, and glass too can withstand quite a bit of pressure without breaking. With all of the various patterns and cuts in glass beads, they are very versatile and sometimes unique as well.

Deana "Dee" Marshall is a avid follower of high quality one of a kind handmade jewelry and has been following Skippy's Trinket's artistry. To follow Skippy's Trinkets handmade jewelry artistry visit Skippy's Trinket's Blog.

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Handmade Jewelry: Differences in Quality

All handmade jewelry is unique, but not all of this jewelry is created equally. There are some major differences in quality depending on the method that was used to create the jewelry and the skill of the jewelry maker.

There are two main ways that handmade jewelry is created. One method involves using glue or epoxy to attach beads and trinkets to the bracelet or necklace pendant. This is the most commonly found method of making handmade jewelry because it is the easiest type of jewelry making to do. However, it has some major quality issues.

First, the beads and trinkets can easily come off with a small amount of force. They may also simply fall off when the glue or epoxy fails over time, which will eventually happen if your jewelry even lasts that long. They can also come off the jewelry in the shower or pool because getting the glue or epoxy wet breaks it down.

The up side to having this type of handmade jewelry is that you will be able to fix it yourself. All you need is a bit of super glue or epoxy and you can stick that bead or fake gem right back in place. If, that is, you can find it when it falls off. Otherwise the piece becomes ugly and fairly useless, and is basically just trash.

The other popular method of handmade jewelry making is wire wrapping. There are no sauntering irons or epoxies used in this method of jewelry making. Instead, the high quality wire is twisted and looped on itself in and around the beads and stones used in making the jewelry. This means that they will not come off. There is no risk of a weld coming loose or a piece coming off. Everything is firmly in place with the wire looping.

About the only thing you have to worry about with wire wrapped jewelry is if the wire somehow breaks. This is highly unlikely, and would require some excessive force or wire cutters to accomplish. However, if it did happen, the piece would not be repairable in most cases. In some cases it may be able to be welded back together, but the weld would likely not hold for a long period of time. In addition, the weld may be visible depending on where the break is, taking away from the inherent beauty of the jewelry.

It is fairly clear from these examples which type of handmade jewelry is of the higher quality. Wire wrapped jewelry wins hands down every time. You can distinguish wire wrapped jewelry very easily. If you are ever in doubt, ask the maker what method was used in creating the jewelry. Even though it is not as easy to be repaired, it is much more durable and typically more beautiful, making it a much higher quality jewelry.

Deana "Dee" Marshall is a avid follower of high quality one of a kind handmade jewelry and has been following Skippy's Trinket's artistry. To follow Skippy's Trinkets handmade jewelry artistry visit Skippy's Trinket's Blog.

View the original article here

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