There are many types of glass beads available to the jewelry crafter. One type is made in the Czech Republic and are known as Czech glass beads. These beads are considered by many to be the highest quality glass bead you can purchase.
History
The Czech Republic was once known as Bohemia and in the 3rd century, Celtic craftsmen began to make the first glass beads. Many of these beads were considered to be very valuable and were used for trade as well as adornments. Over time, glass making techniques progressed. These methods were perfected by the Italians and were adapted by the Czech artisans and through experimentation were able to discover all the secrets to the glass making techniques.
It was these early Czech glass makers who began molding the glass into pressed glass beads and began applying fire-polished finishes to the beads. This was done by placing the hot glass into a mold, cooled it then polished and drilled the beads. This method was perfected in the 18th century. It was during this time that Czech glass making dominated all the markets of the world. Throughout the subsequent centuries they have continued to improve and advance their methods.
Preciosa is the primary manufacturer of Czech glass beads today.
Today I will illustrate two of the most common types of Czech Glass beads, Pressed Glass and Fire Polished. I have a fair collection of these for sale in my Etsy Shop.
Pressed Glass
Pressed glass beads come in hundreds of shapes and sizes. A few of the common shapes are round, daggers, leaf, oval, heart, drops and nugget. There are many, many more shapes as well.
Fire Polished
Fire polished beads are faceted and sometimes are called crystals, however, true crystals contain lead and can be quite expensive. These faceted fire polished beads are wonderful at reflecting the light. They can be either hand or machine cut, then heated to smooth out the edges. These beads have a smoother look then the lead crystals. They come in many colors and are quite beautiful.
Fire Polished beads may be multi-colored and sometimes also contain metal components at their core. A popular finish is known as "AB" which stands for Aurora Borealis which gives the beads a rainbow effect as the light is reflected. The beads made in the Czech Republic are of an excellent quality. Fire polished beads also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A few of my favorite shapes are round, donut or rondelle, bicone and rectangle.
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