Big Beads – Popularity

Big beads are a very popular class of beads that are highly used than any other class of beads. Unlike the other types of beads big beads are used not only for making jewels or ornaments. They are also used for making home decor items, sculptures, bags, Christmas trees and many luxury items. Beads are usually available in a wide range of sizes ranging from a millimeter to a few centimeters. Although there is no fixed division between large beads and small beads, beads having a diameter of one centimeter or more are usually called big beads.

Big Beads Costs

Larger beads are much cheaper as they are easy to manufacture but their cost will increase with the amount of artistic work done on them. While it is very difficult to manufacture good quality beads of small size, big beads could be easily manufactured. But the design and artistic work done on the big beads are critical in determining the value of the beads. It is because unlike the small beads every details of the artistic work done on the big beads are visible with naked eye. While brilliance and scintillation alone determines the value of a small bead design works are also important for big beads. Hence much care is required while doing artistic work on big beads and should be done by a skilled and practiced bead worker.

Materials

A large number of materials including both natural and synthetic materials are used for making big beads. the costly big beads used for making costly jewels and luxury items are made using precious and semi precious stones. These stones are dug out from the ground and involve great effort. The high cost of these big beads is due to the heavy costs involved in extracting and purifying the precious and semi precious stones. The amount of purification determines the clarity and color of the big beads. Along with these factors the mass of the precious stones also affects the price. A large single piece of a precious stone is much more costly than the smaller ones of same mass. Since comparatively large precious and semi precious stones are required to make big beads their prices are also very high. The costly crystals are then converted to big beads by using special tools and techniques by highly skilled bead workers. Making of big beads involves processes like cutting, polishing and designing. Cutting is a very critical process in making precious big beads. it is because the brightness and scintillation of the big beads made of precious stones are determined by the cut. Proper cut is required to enhance the reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in the crystal. Many other rocks and minerals are also used for making big beads which are less costly. Granite and limestone pieces are the main types of rocks used for this purpose. Metals like silver, copper, brass and alloys like steel and bronze are also used for making big beads.

Big Beads – Natural

Natural materials derived from plants and animals are also used for making big beads. Seeds and woods of plants and horns, born, shells and corals of animals are the main raw materials of organic type used for making big beads. They are cheaper than other types of big beads because of the cheap availability of raw materials. Their value is mainly determined by their design and beauty. Hence proper care should be taken while doing artistic work on these types of beads. They are treated with special chemicals in order to increase their durability, strength, color and luster. After painting designs on them a coat of wax or oil is applied on them to make them glossy. This also helps to fill any holes on their surface.

Big Beads – Synthetic

Synthetic materials are another class of materials used for making big beads. Various types of glasses, plastics, ceramics and alloys are the main types of synthetic raw materials used for making big beads. The synthetic beads are less costly than the natural ones. It is possible to make big beads that resemble the precious stone beads using cheap synthetic materials. So while buying precious stone big beads the person should be very careful to avoid getting cheated by fake synthetic beads.

Big Beads – In Conclusion

Big beads are not just used for making ornaments. They have a wide range of uses. They are an important component in making many home decor and luxury items. In olden days large beads were used in palaces to make thrones and crowns. These big beads help us to learn about the artistic styles and traditions of the olden days.

Related Articles:

Beads And Pieces
Beading Supplies