| Tip 1 -- No Cracks... |
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No Cracks – Beads that are poorly annealed will often have large cracks, especially
between component colors or design elements. These beads may fall apart completely after little wear
and tear.
| Tip 2 -- No Bubbles... |
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No Bubbles – Bubbles can be large and obvious or they can appear as spider web-like
trails through the glass interior. Bubbles indicate that the molten glass was poorly heated and formed.
| Tip 3 -- Clear design delineation... |
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Clear design delineation – Well made beads have crisp lines separating color and
design elements in the bead. Lower quality items will appear foggy and elements will blend together.
| Tip 4 -- Color vibrancy... |
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Color vibrancy – High quality glass makes for higher quality beads.
Quality glass has deeper, richer color.
| Tip 5 -- Nation of Origin... |
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Nation of origin – There is variance within individual nations, but this is
a useful piece of information when determining quality.
| Tip 6 -- Know your manufacturing methods... |
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Know your manufacturing methods – Some traits are endemic to the manufacturing
methods used in making glass beads. For instance, pressed beads are likely to have a visible
"seam." Educate yourself on what you can expect to see from various methods.
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