Land of Odds
Glass beads have been made for about 9,000 years. They come in all shapes, colors, finishes, appearances. For most of their history, glass beads were more than a craft, more than an art. They were equivalent to money, and were traded.
Most fancy glass beads and drops in these displays are from the Czech Republic. Most often, these are pressed glass beads in many shapes, sizes and colors. We've tried to include a wide variety of beads here, including many wonderful 4-6mm rounds, ovals, faceted ovals and the like which can be used in many of your creative beading projects.
Land of Odds Bead Shop offers a wide selection of glass beads, from Austrian crystal to tile to cloisonne to Czech and East Indian. Our newsletter, The ODDSIAN, offers charts about the number of beads by size of bead to the inch, as well as standard bracelet, anklet, choker, and necklace lengths for males and females.
Read about How Glass Beads Are Made.
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Sorry,
we do not have a Printed Catalog.
NOTE: We do not provide Samples of items
NOTE:
The supply and availability of beads is very variable. Please make note of this
when you are planning any project! Also MAKE NOTE and REALIZE that the exact
color and size of many beads also varies, sometimes considerably, from production
lot to production lot. Just because you ordered 100 navy blue oval beads in June,
don't assume that when you re-order, that the navy blue color will be exact,
or the size will be exact.
Also, don't assume that the same color will still be available when you order next -- even with a basic color like 'black'.
Also in your planning, assume that the variability of size/color/shape in any lot of hand-crafted beads will also have considerable variability.
Don't hesitate, when planning a project, or ordering from us, to ask us questions about supply and availability of beads. We'll do our best to find answers and options for you. This may mean having to modify your design plans somewhat, or for us to find an alternative, though sometimes higher cost, supplier. It may also mean buying your key beads or other parts and findings in larger quantities. At Land of Odds, we are all too familiar with the trials, tribulations and joys of jewelry design. We'll work closely with you.
If you are ordering SEVERAL ITEMS WHICH YOU MUST HAVE "ALL OR NONE", then please email or notify us of this fact when you place your order. Normally, we ship what is available, and out-of-stock the rest. We do not typically call or email about what is unavailable, unless specifically requested to do so.
We cannot be responsible for the color of dyed stones.
Listed weights and sizes for cast jewelry and beads pieces are approximate.
Please be aware that the colors of images you see on your screen may differ from the true colors of any item offered for sale. We do our best to see that there is as little distortion from the true colors as possible, but different browsers and different computer graphics hard- and soft-ware do many different things with colors. Even when switching between Netscape, Internet Explorer and AOL, some colors will vary considerably, some will vary a little, and others won't vary at all.
| Glass is a mixture of quartz sand and potash or
soda, heated with lime. It was invented by the ancient
Egyptians and Romans, and later appeared in India. Many
cultures made glass. Venetian glass making techniques were
regarded as the finest. Glass beads are formed in many
different ways. Some of the most prominent today
are:
Wound: the bead is formed by the ancient technique of winding molten glass around a metal wire. The beads are then sliced and polished. Lampwork: a wound glass bead is formed by winding molten glass around copper wire heated over a lamp Mosaic: mosaic beads are very ornate, and are composed entirely of colorful fused segments of glass cane. Glass cane is a long drawn rod of glass. Millefiori: these beads have layers of colorful glass fused in cross section and melted onto the surface of a bead. The resulting surface can look like flowers, like faces, like an abstract pattern, or even a realistic scene. One example of a glass cross section: two layers of different-color glass, rolled up like a jelly roll, and then sliced. Swarovski Crystal: these are leaded (crystal) glass beads with a very high brilliance. These are named for Daniel Swarovski who was born in Bohemia in 1862, and who invented a machine to cut glass. Chevron: a very popular bead, first made in the 1400's in Venice. This bead is formed by drawn-out layered glass block sectioned into beads; their ends are cut or ground down to create a zigzag pattern, usually blue with white and red stripes. Blown: blown glass beads are formed as a craftsman blows into a glass tube that has a small piece of molten glass on the end. The tube is turned over heat until the bead reaches the desired size. |
CENTER FOR BEADWORK & JEWELRY ARTS
Skills-based Courses,
Workshops, Programs
For the Beadwork and Jewelry Artist
Visit our
CBJA
web-site
Add your name to our CBJA
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BE DAZZLED
BEADS!
Our sister store.
Check out
The ODDSIAN
Newsletter
Many articles
of interest for you...
