Glass beads are actually made out of molten sand. Ingredients are added to give beads different colors and glass properties. Glass beads can be formed by a glassblower, a lampworker (see next week's post), or they can be pressed into a mold.

Crystal beads are special glass beads. Small amounts of iron or iron oxide are added to the molten glass before the beads are made. This increases the refractive index of the glass. The beads are shinier!

Acrylic beads are molded. Sometimes, these are also called resin beads. These beads come in a huge variety of colors, sizes and shapes. Currently, vintage acrylic beads are all the rage for bead lovers.

Bone beads are carved. They may come in their natural color, or they might be dyed, like the beads you see here.

Metal beads come in many finishes. You can find beads of pewter (shown), copper, brass, 14K gold, sterling silver, nickel, aluminum and vermeil. You will also find beads that are just metal-plated. Plating keeps the cost and the weight down.