Wildly Bohemian - News of the Bead World

New Pressed Bead Category on Czechbeads.com!

2008-05-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Just added! Teeny tiny, itty bitty flat squares -- now available in 20 of our most popular and inventive colors. These dainty little beads are highly sought after in the market today. They have a well defined shape and crisp edges; impressive for a bead that small! Some colors even look like miniature ceramic tiles.

Watch as these shiny squares add sparkle and flash to your bead and jewelry collections.

View our entire collection of 6mm flat squares here!

You can also see our full line of complimenting 9mm flat squares here.

African Sunset

2008-05-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

With it's golden glow and blood red core, African Sunset (color #329) is one of our most popular seed bead colors. We've just received a shipment of new items that increases our selection in this color to nine shapes and sizes including rounds, hexes, bugles, triangles and treasures.

SilverWear

2008-05-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

We're all aware of the unbelievable increase in the cost of precious metals on the world market. Gold, silver, platinum, and copper are all going up in value with little hope of retuning to previous trade prices. This has had a profound effect on the style and cost of jewelry and its components. The style of chunky, weighty jewelry made mostly of silver spacers and charms has been replaced with lightweight chains and plated components. Copper's popularity in jewelry has increased dramatically over the past few months, not only because of it's color coordinating appeal, but because it's a relatively inexpensive alternative to gold and silver.

For those who like the metallic look without the inflated price, we recommend our wide variety of silver, gold, and copper finished beads. These quality finishes are available on many accent shapes such as rondells, firepolish, druks, pinch beads and drops. The core beads are usually made from crystal or alabaster glass that are coated with a durable galvanized finish. Compare our prices with the going cost of precious metals and I'm sure you won't be dissappointed!

Czech Metallic Finished Beads:

270 - 24K Gold Plated

27000 - Silver (Full Coat)

27001 - Silver (1/2 Coat)

275 - Copper Penny

14400 - Hematite

90215 - Bronze

14415 - Dark Bronze

One of the Perks of International Business

2008-04-18T18:48:00.001-07:00

Stamps -- what a beautiful way to brighten up an otherwise bleak envelope. In a world of mass emails and automated postage machines I have come to appreciate the simple art and symbolism contained within such a sticky form of payment for government services. What started as a hobby has become a fascination of mine to collect the wide array of cancelled postage stamps we receive from business partners across the globe. I get lots of help creating this inconsequential, yet gratifying artistic archive and am thankful for the support of my fellow coworkers, especially Jenn, who distributes the mail for us everyday. Over the years I’ve watched as the collection has outgrown its miniature Altoids tin and now its jumbo sized one as well. I’m not sure where it will be contained in the future, but I know it will expand greatly with the introduction of new stamps, which inevitably follows a rate hike.

Don’t forget the next increase starts May 12th. Get your forever stamps now!

Alexandrite Color Spectrum

2008-04-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

Alexandrite (color# 2021) -- Is it blue? Is it purple? It's one of a kind that's for sure!

This pleasingly gentle color is notorious for confusing beaders with its ability to change from sapphire to lavender depending on what type of light shines on it. Regular indoor lighting can sometimes make it difficult for customers to tell alexandrite apart from light sapphire (color # 3001). When in doubt I recommend taking the beads outside into direct sunlight, or near a bright window.

Getting the beads to display the way you want them to in a photo can also prove to be difficult. Daylight fluorescent bulbs are an ideal light source for taking accurate product shots, but they can only show one side of alexandrite.
The contrast between the two variations is so striking that it is very difficult to switch one to the other by attempting drastic adjustments in photoshop.

To get the deep brilliance to show you may need to play around with your camera's white balance settings. The purple versions of these pictures were taken under halogen lighting with the white balance of the camera set to incandescent. The pictures were then modified and adjusted slightly in photoshop.

Color Spotlight - Diamond

2008-04-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

When choosing a birthstone color to spotlight for the month of April the choice was clear -- crystal clear.

Below are some quick links to see our brilliant alternatives to diamonds.

Czech Glass
0003 : Crystal
X0003: Crystal AB
SL0003: Crystal Silverlined
L0003: Luster Crystal
LR0003: Luster Iris Crystal
28001: Crystal/Marea
28003: Silver/Blue/Crystal
M0003: Matte - Crystal
MX0003: Matte - Crystal AB

Toho Seed Bead Color Numbers:
1: Crystal
1F: Frosted Crystal
21: Crystal Silverline
21F: Fronsted Crystal Silverline
161: Trans-Rainbow Crystal
161F: Frosted Trans-Rainbow Crystal
3201: Crystal/Silver Mix

This link will take you to a list of Rhinestone Findings with crystal clear chatons. We carry a full line of birthstone colors in many shapes and sizes. Of all the colored stones in settings we carry, none are more popular than crystal.

Glow in the Dark Czech Beads

2008-04-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

Nightlights - Glow in the Dark Pressed Beads

Now Available in 50 Styles!

View the entire glow in the dark bead collection

Exclusive from Starman, Inc.
Retail Ready in hanks that consist of 6 strands, 6 inches long each. All of the styles are assortable when you buy a minimum combination of 5 hanks. You'll be able to offer your customers a wide variety at great prices!
These beads are unlike any other glow in the dark bead available in the market today. It's not a cheap flaky coating that makes these beads glow; they are made of quality Czech glass with a special glowing mineral added to the glass at the time of pressing. The glass takes on a natural dual-tone glow that brightens and intensifies even the most brilliant glass colors. We also offer lustered glow in the dark beads for a more elusive look. No one will suspect that they glow until after the sun goes down. The beads are also sensitive enough to give off an ominous glow even in the shade, or in dimly lit hallways.

You will notice that each glass color reacts with the glow in the dark substance slightly different. Some colors , such as 2021 and 3003 give off a bright blue-green swirl while colors like 1006 have a speckled, greenish glow.

Give your jewelry a new look after dark with our Wildly Bohemian Nightlight collection. They quickly charge under daylight, lamplight and also UV Light. Their glow lasts for hours and black light can give it an extra boost. Perfect for daily wear as well as the party scene!

Beads used for the bracelet:

227-1210-D88495 - Flattened Ovals 12/10mm : Glow in the Dark - Luster Transparent Topaz/Pink

TR-11-2031F - Round 11/0 : Silver-Lined Frosted Rainbow Rosaline

TR-11-999 - Round 11/0 : Gold-Lined Rainbow Black Diamond

TR-11-21 - Round 11/0 : Silver-Lined Crystal

TR-03-993 - Round 6/0 : Gold-Lined Black Diamond

34-44-91002 - M.C. Beads 4/4mm - Bicone : Luster - Pink Lemonade

(Click on the pictures to see enlarged versions)

Glow in the Dark Color Variations

2008-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of the glow in the dark beads in action.

Night Light
Dim Light
Daylight

14/9 Leaves: 101-149-D1006 - Dim Light

Black Light Sensitive Czech Glass

2008-04-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

Color #88126 Jonquil Tortoise

There are many beautiful shades of glass cane with the traditional Czech, wildly contrasting blackish brown swirls known as tortoise; but none of them are as brilliant and intriguing as Jonquil Tortoise. By itself, Jonquil (class cane number 8013) is a nice lemon yellow color thats intensity changes based on the shape and depth of the bead it is made into. Small beads, such as 3 and 4mm fire polish usually turn out to be a light cream color while 8-12 mm beads are a nice and sunny bright yellow. This glass is especially impressive when table cut since the beveled edges add depth and distortion to the pattern.Please note that only the pressed, fire polished and machine cut beads on our website are known to fluoresce. Some batches may glow more than others. If you are interested in purchasing these beads for their UV sensitive properties, please let us know so that we can double check them under the light for you.

New TOHO Pretties!

2008-03-31T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some quick links to the new beads that just arrived. There are some really unique and fancy beads in this batch that I'm sure will impress even the most extensive bead collector. Absolutely Stunning!Get them while you can; some of these colors are marked for discontinuation by Toho and may not be produced in the future.

Note: Click on the picture to be directed to the specific item; click
on the color number to see all styles available in that color.

Toho Round 3/o

#993 : Gold-Lined Black Diamond
#992 : Gold-Lined Lt Montana Blue
#332 : Gold-Lustered Raspberry
#52 : Opaque Lavender
#990 :Gold-Lined Aqua
#721 : Galvanized Blue Gold
#267 : Inside-Color Crystal/Rose Gold Lined

11/o Hex

#1625F : Opaque-Frosted Espresso Bean
#1624F : Opaque-Frosted Pea Green Soup
#1612F : Opaque-Pastel-Frosted* Lt Turqouise
#952 : Inside-Color Rainbow Lt Topaz/Sea Foam Lined
#721 : Galvanized Blue Gold

11/o Round

#2031F: Silver-Lined Frosted Rainbow Rosaline
#2024F : Silver-Lined Frosted Rainbow Lime Green
#2012 : Ancient Turquoise

We also received more supply permanent finish Galvanized beads (tubed available as well).

Quick Announcement: Size 15/o Charlottes coming soon! Stay tuned for a list of colors coming on our next shipment.

Color Spotlight - Aquamarine

2008-03-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of links to quickly browse our selection of March's birthstone color - Aquamarine!

Czech Glass

6001: Aquamarine

6002: Aquamarine

6003: Dark Aquamarine

61000: Milky Aquamarine

Toho Seed Beads

3: Aquamarine

23: Silver-Lined Aquamarine

3B: Dark Aquamarine

3F: Transparent-Frosted Aquamarine

3BF: Transparent-Frosted Medium Aquamarine

23BF: Silver-Lined-Frosted Dark Aquamarine

163: Trans-Rainbow Aquamarine

163BF: Trans-Rainbow-Frosted Dark Aquamarine

143: Ceylon Aqua

954: Inside-Color Aqua/Lt Jonquil Lined

932: Inside-Color Aqua/Capri Lined

990: Gold-Lined Aqua

TOHO Seed Beads - Tubed and Ready!

2008-03-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

As a wholesaler, we are always trying to find new and dynamic packaging options for our customers. We know it's important now more than ever for bead stores to maintain efficiency.

Since launching our Toho product line in September 2006 we have had many requests for pre-tubed beads. Over the past few months we have gradually added tubed beads to our site as they become available. We now have over 1,000 different beads tubed and ready to order.

We asked many of our customers what type of tubing they preferred and have come up with the following tubing options:

TOHO Beads sold in 5.5"x .5" tubes:

Prepackaged 5.5 inch by 0.5 inch round tubes of TOHO beads. Each tube will contain approximately 16.6 - 19.5 grams. Note: this is an approximated average measure that varies depending on bead style and color; no effort has been made to ensure the weight. Smaller sizes generally have a greater weight per vial.

TOHO Beads sold in 2.5"x .5" tubes:

Prepackaged 2.5 inch, 0.5 inch round tubes of TOHO beads, each tube will contain approximately 7 - 9 grams. Note: this is an approximated average measure that varies depending on bead style and color; no effort has been made to ensure the weight. Smaller sizes generally have a greater weight per vial.

HurriCane Glass Defined

2008-03-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

What is HurriCane Glass?

HurriCane glass is characterized by its unique color combinations and swirl patterns. Mixing so many colors in such a way was previously unachievable by convential methods. Using HurriCane glass accentuates beads; giving them vintage styling and color infusions as intricate as lampworked glass. Please note that each batch of glass is unique, therefore our color selection will vary.

Latest additions to our catalog can be found here.

Look for our latest additions to the HurriCane glass product line including Table Cut, Loose, Matte, and Luster finishes.

Black Light Sensitive Czech Glass

2008-03-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

Color #: 61100 - Milky Peridot

Visit the whole other world that lies beneath a black light. Fluorescent glassware and beads have been highly sought after collectibles for generations. Some of the most vivid glass canes give off bright green or muted yellow/orange hues depending on the minerals that are used during production. Colors such as jonquil and chrysolite are well known in the industry for their glowing properties; however, there are many other beautiful glass canes that may surprise you. We will be featuring these colors individually over the next few months. There are many names for UV sensitive glass including "Vaseline glass", "Uranium Glass", and "Custard Glass". Each has a slightly different definition. If you would like to know more about this phenomenon I recommend the websites listed below, or try searching Google for "Vaseline Glass".

http://www.vaselineglass.org/

http://1st.glassman.com/vaselineglass.html

Please note that only the pressed, fire polished and machine cut beads on our website are known to fluoresce. Some batches may glow more than others. If you are interested in purchasing these beads for their UV sensitive properties, please let us know so that we can double check them under the light for you.

This Week's New Loose Pressed Beads by Kilo

2008-02-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

We try to update the loose pressed kilo category every week. Here are some quick links to the latest batch!

New Toho Colors and Styles!

2008-02-28T13:36:00.001-08:00

We just received our latest shipment of new Toho beads. I've listed them below. Click on the picture to be directed to the item in our catalog, or you can click on the color number to see all items we have available in that color.

Toho Round 3/o

#991 -Silver-Lined Peridot

#1013 -Silver-Lined Citrus

#989 -Gold-Lined Crystal

#929 - Rainbow Yellow/Capri Lined

Toho Round 8/o

#2031F -Silver-Lined Frosted Rainbow Rosaline
2027BDF -Silver-Lined Frosted Rainbow Teal
#1833 - Rainbow Lt. Sapphire/Teal Lined

Toho Round 11/o

#2035F -Silver-Lined Frosted Rainbow Sapphire
#15F -Transparent-Frosted Citrus Spritz
#15 -Citrus Spritz

Toho Hex 11/o

#135 -Transparent Lemon Lime
#990 -Gold-Lined Aqua
#991 -Gold-Lined Peridot
#989 -Gold-Lined Crystal

Color Spotlight - Amethyst

2008-02-26T15:37:00.001-08:00

It's a little late in the month, but I thought i'd take the opportunity to spotlight February's birthstone color -- Amethyst.

Our catalog has over 10,000 active items listed over 15 categories. It can be quite the task to search through the items one by one. Searching by color number is one of the many helpful hints we will be covering on a regular basis.

Common amethyst czech glass cane and Toho seed bead numbers:
Czech Glass
2002: Light Amethyst
2003: Medium Amethyst
2004: Amethyst
2006: Dark Amethyst
15726: Luster Amethyst
23020: Opaque Amethyst
23030: Opaque Dark Amethyst
21000: Milky Amethyst

Toho Seed Beads
6: Transparent Light Amethyst/6F Matte
6B: Transparent Medium Amethyst/6BF - Matte
6C: Transparent Amethyst/6CF - Matte
166: Trans-Rainbow Lt. Amethyst/166F - Matte
166B: Trans-Rainbow Med Amethyst/166BF - Matte
166C: Trans Rainbow Amethyst/166CF - Matte
26: Silver-Lined Frosted Light Amethyst/26F - Matte
26B: Silver-Lined Medium Amethyst/26BF - Matte
110B: Trans-Lustered Med Amethyst
502 : Higher-Metallic Amethyst
503: Higher-Metallic Dark Amethyst
201: Gold-Lustered Amethyst

To get more results you can simply type in "Amethyst", but it may take you a while to load depending on your internet connection.

Beads in Design

2008-02-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

Crystal Dewdrop Bracelet

Beadwork Magazine April/May 2007

Vol. 10 No. 3

"A glowing crystal bracelet made with a
chevron chain stitch variation".

I made up three copies of this bracelet for my sister's wedding last June. The pattern was easy to follow and uses readily available materials. You can find the colors I used on http://www.czechbeads.com/. click on the photos to be directed right to them!

1. 2.

3. 4. 5.

1. TR-11-922 : Toho 11/o round - Ceylon Gladiola
2. TR-15-90 : Toho 15/o round - Metallic - Amethyst Gun Metal

3. 34-44-Z2051 : Czech Crystal 4mm - Tanzanite - Celsian

4. 34-44-91001 : Czech Crystal 4mm - Luster - Pink/Crystal

5. PT-50-11 : Toho One-G Thread - Purple

Permanent Finish Galvanized Toho Beads

2008-02-25T17:34:00.001-08:00

Coming soon! Toho has just expanded their selection of permanent finished galvanized seed beads. Regular galvanized metallic coated seed beads have been on the market for many years and are extremely popular because of their wide variety of shimmering colors and matte finishes. They are eye-catching to anyone who's had the opportunity of seeing them in person; they can, however, be difficult to work with in Jewelry. Their metallic coating has been known to come off with strong friction. Therefore, they've been used sparingly. No need to skimp any longer!

Permanent finish is not just for galvanized, it also protects silverlined beads from being tarnished by chemicals -- perfect for use in bridal jewelry and garments! Toho - quality beads & quality finishes.

A full list of available permanent finish items along with pictures will be posted as they become available.

TOHO OneG Thread

2008-02-22T10:08:00.001-08:00

In June of 2006, Toho launched their own brand of beading thread -- One G. This quality twisted Nylon beading thread has quickly become favored by some of the most reputable designers in the industry. Since it doesn't fray, it's easy to thread time and time again. It's super strong and holds up well to the wear and tear of notoriously sharp beads such as bugles and crystals. Beadwork finishes up stronger, smoother and cleaner than with most regular threads. Plus There's no wax needed! Just unspool what you need, stretch it a little to straighten it out and it's ready to work for you.
All colors are available on our website. They are also available in a fancy assortment pack of all 12 colors in an acrylic carrying case.

Loose beads sold by the 1/4 kilo on czechbeads.com

2008-02-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

Loose beads -- the latest addition to our ever-growing catalog! For years we have been proud to offer our entire selection of Czech pressed glass and fire polished beads strung in easy to work with hanks. The beads usually come strung in hanks of 300, 600, or 1,200 beads, depending on the size of the bead. Having the beads strung at the factory in Czech Republic saves valuable time for local bead stores because the merchandise is easily prepared for sale.

Hanks are a great packaging format for most beads, especially the really small ones that are difficult to count. But what about those tricky big beads? Some beads are so wide that their hanks end up being 2 feet long! Each bead store handles them in their own way; selling partial strands, loose in a dish, etc. Buying loose beads by the kilo is an easy way to add variety at a low cost. String them yourself, or sell them loose... either way they're a great deal!

See our current selection here: http://www.czechbeads.com/Catalog/Products.aspx?b=VLH-15

We also carry a wide variety of HurriCane glass loose by the 1/4 kilo: http://www.czechbeads.com/Catalog/Products.aspx?b=VLH-13

New styles added weekly!

Opening Message

2008-02-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the blog of Starman, Inc., most commonly known as czechbeads.com, your source for wholesale Czech Glass beads and TOHO Japanese seed beads. Our goal with this blog is to inform bead lovers of the many new and exciting products and events that happen within our multi-facetted industry. Starman, Inc. is a close-knit family business, and all of us here hope to offer you insightful stories about our pride and joy -- beads!