Seed Beads are manufactured in a variety of glass and glass finishes. The bead manufacturer can create a dazzling variety of seed beads by combining different glasses with one or more finishes. Some colors are hard to produce in glass, so a finish can be used to produce these colors.

The same finish applied to different glass can produce many different looks. The combinations not only determine the look of the bead, but also how your eye perceives the bead. Some types of seed beads will recede in a design, while other beads will stand out or come forward in a design.

GLASS TYPES

There are 4 types of glass that are used in the seed beads that Occidental Beads sell. These are Transparent, Silverline, Opaque and Inside Color.

Transparent glass: lets light pass completely through the bead. Stained glass in a church is an example of transparent glass. Transparent beads recede in a pattern.

Silverlined - beads have a silverlining in the hole. Thr silver coating causes the bead to sparkle, shine, and radiate bright points of light. Silverlined beads can have square holes, or round holes. Square and round hole silverlined beads reflect the light differently because of their shape but in either case these beads really stand out in a design.

Inside Color or colorlined beads have a color lining around the hole. The outer glass can be clear or colored. When inside color is combined with a different outside color, the results can be dramatic, with the color appearing to shift or change. These beads tend to recede in a design.

Opaque glass allows no light to pass through. These beads stand out in a pattern.

GLASS FINISHES

Aurora Borealis or A.B. was invented in 1955 by Swarovski. This finish is applied while the glass is hot, making a durable finish. Usually applied to transparent glass beads.These are beautiful beads with bright rainbow colors, dancing on the surface.

Ceylon is an opaque to semi-transparent bead with a shiny, pearl finish. These are usually light bright pastel colors. Ceylon beads tend to recede in a design.

Frosted or Matte finish can be applied to any glass type for a varieity of looks. Transparent beads become translucent. Opaque colors become richer with a matte finish. Frost or matte is not a finish, but the beads are chemically etched, (frosted).

Frosted Aurora Beads (FAB) have a soft color with rainbow colors on the surface of the bead. The AB effect makes the base color dominate. Depending on the surrounding beads, these beads may either recede or move forward.

Frosted Silverlined beads use transparent glass wtih a silverlined hole and a frosted or matte finish on the surface. Because of the frosted finish, the bead loses some of the sparkle of a silverlined bead, but the beads glow bright and stand out in a pattern.

Iris - dark colors, slightly metallic color tinting the surface Iris finish is similiar to the A.B. finish, but on opaque glass. An Iris finish can totally change the color of the bead. Purple iris beads look black with a purple rainbow effect. Iris beads come forward in a design.

Metallic - finishes are either baked on paint, or electroplated onto nickel iodized beads. Metallic beads come forward in a pattern.

Metallic Iridescent -these beads can be a metallic color with an iridescent finish, or an opaque bead with a heavy irridescent finish that gives a metallic look. This hot finish is very long lasting and the beads come forward in a design.