Lisa Liddy, Joolz by Lisa

I create jewelry with glass lampwork beads as the primary focus. There are a lot of beads out there and it is often overwhelming trying to weed through them to find the best of the best for jewelry that I make to sell. This article addresses some tips for buying lampwork beads online. Most of the information is just as pertinent for “live” sales; it’s just that most of the beads I buy are via cyberspace. And if you are only buying jewelry, not beads, you still want to know that the jewelry designer uses quality beads! I’ve learned so much in the years that I’ve been working with lampwork beads in jewelry.

Quality counts! Especially with the glut of lower priced, mass-market lampwork beads out there. While there is a market for all price ranges of glass beads (and jewelry), if I was spending $75-$150 and more for a bracelet made with lampwork beads, I know I would want to be confident that excellent quality beads were used. That’s not a “throw-away” piece of jewelry that you might find in the mall at one of the accessory-only stores. The phrase “you get what you pay for” is very true.

If you buy via online auction sites, check seller feedback. Look for trends that indicate satisfaction from buyers. (The odd negative or neutral rating is not a red flag for me, as long as I can determine it was an anomaly and not a pattern.)

Do some research on the beadmaker. How long have they been making beads? Is it a business or a hobby? Do the photographs of the beads look accurate? Do the auctions provide information about the bead sizes? What is the return policy? If you can, take a look at what has sold for the beadmaker in the past.

Serious beadmakers (no matter how long they have been making beads) will make certain that the only beads they offer for sale are properly kiln annealed, have rounded or “puckered” ends (not sharp, rough ends that will wear on string material down the road) and have been thoroughly cleaned of bead release.

In addition, these artists check to be certain there are no cracks in the body of the bead or at the ends, and they will guarantee their work.

If presses were used to form the beads, the beads in a set should appear very uniform with no uneven, unbalanced sides—no obvious seams from where the press top and bottom met. Note: If you can’t see an extreme close-up photo of the beads, you really can’t determine how well-executed they were.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words…

With thousands of auctions out there on eBay and JustBeads, who has time to look at all of them? If the photos aren’t great and showing off the beads at the first glance, I know that I move on without even reading descriptions or details. Be aware that some glass colors and effects are a bear to photograph. Not all photographic skills are equal. just as not all computer monitors display accurately.

If a beadmaker has taken the time to comment on lighting, or color or something unusual about the beads and you aren’t seeing it on your monitor, send them an email and ask about it.

The best time to ask questions…BEFORE you buy

The beadmakers that I know professionally and personally would much prefer to answer questions upfront, than to have a dissatisfied client after the fact.

If you can’t tell from the auction or website description, ask if lampwork beads are kiln annealed. Typically beads that are annealed via fiber blankets, vermiculite in crock pots or rotating the bead slowly in the flame, are not as structurally sound as those that were kiln annealed. And even kiln annealing has to be done properly to be effective. If you know that the beads are kiln annealed, you are on the right track.

This is a start…much more can be said so check back for more information.