Tips For Buying Wholesale Glass Beads

Handcrafted glass beads are an extremely popular jewelry component. These days, you will find glass beads in almost every type of jewelry, whether it is earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants or anklets. Jewelry made from these beads is sold in local jewelry stores and on the internet.

Since most types of glass beads are handmade, the quality of the beads often depends on the expertise of the artisan. When choosing wholesale glass beads for jewelry creation, it is important to pay attention to its style. However, the style is not the only thing that you need to consider. There are many other factors to look at when buying beads made of glass in bulk.

When looking for wholesale beads, you will come across many sets that you may love. But, how do you choose? Is there anything that you need to look at beyond the initial eye appeal? Surely there is and in this article, we will look at some of the important things that you need to consider when buying them.

The ends of the beads are quite important. Look out for sharp edges because quality ones will not have them. If they do, you can consider going to the next shop. You must look for ends that are indented or puckered. The reason you should not consider beads with sharp ends is that they can easily cut through your beading wire or thread.

Do the beads have dots? If so, they must be well anchored on the beads. But, it can be quite hard to determine this when buying wholesale glass beads online. Therefore, you must pay close attention to the pictures provided. The dot should not appear as a mushroom because quality beads will have the dot top larger than the dot base. The dot can pop off if it is not anchored properly.

Chill marks are circular ridges on the bead surface and this is often caused when molten glass comes into contact with a cold tool. These marks can be removed if the beads are heated carefully. Chill marks take away from the appeal of the beads and when buying beads in wholesale, always ensure that they don’t have chill marks.

Quality glass beads will be perfectly encased and should have very little bubbles. Sometimes, bubbles are added intentionally to make the beads look beautiful. But, if they are unintentional, it means the beads are of poor quality.

The color of the beads and the cost are other factors that you must consider. The color must complement the other elements of your beading project and how much you spend will depend on your budget. The cost of the beads usually depends on the manufacturer and the technique that has been used in its creation. Frit rolled pressed beads are easy to make and therefore they should be priced accordingly.

However, if the beads consist of details such as dots, stringer, complex twisties or murrini, then those will be expensive. Moreover hand shaped beads such as round beads, barrels and bicones are harder to make than pressed beads and these will carry a slightly higher price tag as well.