Crystal beads are made with glass of high lead oxide content. Although manmade, crystal beads are commonly used in jewelry making, as they provide a wide variety of color choices and beautiful light refraction at a relatively low price. Crystal beads are cut in the same manner as gemstone beads, which accounts for much of their price due to the labor involved.
Adding various chemicals to the molten glass creates the colors. It is actually harder to make a perfectly clear or white crystal than it is to create a colored crystal, because of impurities in the glass making chemicals. The cost of the chemicals used impact the cost of the beads.
Crystal beads are often coated with reflective paint on all or part of the bead. This is known as AB (aurora borealis) satin, vitrail, CAL (comet argent light) arum, glacier blue, or other names. When the coating covers the entire bead, it is called 2X.
Crystal beads are often used as gemstone substitutes with great success. Swarovski crystal bead colors appropriate as birthstone substitutes for use in jewelry making follow:
 January - Siam
 February - Amethyst
 March - Aquamarine
 April - Crystal
 May - Emerald
 June - Light Amethyst
 July - Ruby
 August - Peridot
 September - Sapphire
 October - Rose
 November - Topaz
 December - Blue Zircon
In jewelry making, the sharp edges of crystal can cut bead string. Consequently, when stringing crystal beads, it is a good idea to use stringing material that is very resistant to cutting, such as Beadalon or SoftFlex steel wire. Alternatively, one can smooth the hole edges with a cone shaped file, often found in bead reamers.
special care: Avoid impact or extreme temperature changes. In the case of coated cystal beads, avoid abrasion, as the coating can wear off. |
