Chime School

Beads are small objects of decoration that are usually used in jewelry. In order to be used beads must usually first be pierced so that thread can be passed through them so that they can be joined together on a string. However beads can also be adhered to surfaces of various items such as wall hangings and sculptures in which case they would not need to be pierced. Beads can also be found decorating personal items such as purses and handbags. They can also be used in home furnishing such as table cloths and cushions. Beads differ vastly in size from tiny little beads that are too small to handle without precision tools to large beads that are more than a centimeter in diameter.

Don’t be confused by the term seed bead. It doesn’t actually mean that the beads are necessarily made from seeds, although some beads are. The term “Seed bead” is a generic term that is often used to describe any small bead.

Beads are made from all types of materials but you will find that you most commonly come across beads that are made from glass, plastic or stone. But they can also be made from bone, horn, shell, ivory, coral, pearl, metal, gemstones, polymer clay, metal clay, resin, wood, ceramic, fiber, paper, seeds and synthetic materials. As you can see, one thing about beads is that there is no shortage of different materials with which you can work with.

Beads have been around a very along time since the first known civilizations. The oldest known examples of jewelry are an approximately 100,000 year old pair of beads made from sea snail shells. Apart from being used in jewelry and personal adornment beads are also used for religious purposes, good luck talismans and curative agents.

The craft of making items from beads is known as beadwork. There are many different beadwork techniques and they can be broadly categorized as stringing, embroidery, crochet, knitting, loom weaving and off-loom weaving.

Hobbyists of all abilities can practise the craft of beadworking. The simplest examples of beaded jewelry can be created by a novice beader in virtually no time at all. Experienced beaders may spend weeks of meticulous effort on their beadwork using specialized equipment and tools.

For more information about beads please visit http://www.beadyeyez.com

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