Buy Czech Glass Beaded Jewellery
for Delivery Across Australia
Small Pleasures offers jewellery handmade from Czech glass and crystal beads, with delivery available across Australia. Contact us today to find out more or order online.
World-Renowned, Lead-Free Beads
Czech beads are renowned for their excellent craftsmanship, dating back to the 11th Century. Made of quality glass, the vivid colours will not fade and are consistent throughout the line. My items use Preciosa (formerly Jablonex) prime quality, traditional Czech glass beads. The Preciosa brand was first registered in Bohemia in 1915, and has been a world-leading producer of cut crystal since 1948.
Czech fire-polished beads have been immensely popular for over two centuries, and their appeal is still growing today. They are made with a process, originated in Bohemia, in which glass beads are machine-faceted, then polished by glazing inside a hot oven. The intense heat of the furnace softens the edges of the facets and gives the beads a smoother feel than machine-polished crystal beads. The fire polishing also results in warm flashes of refracted fire from the interior of the bead, rather than the intense surface reflections of a lap-polished bead. These beads do not have lead in them, so they are not truly crystals, despite the sparkling facets and jewel colours.
One beauty of fire-polished beads is the range of available mixed and mottled colours. In addition to the traditional reproduction of rare precious gems (ruby, emerald, etc.) that other crystal manufacturers were established to do, Czech fire-polished beads also come in colour combinations that resemble all the wonderful semi-precious gemstones in the natural world.
The most visible difference between Swarovski crystal and Czech fire-polished can be seen on the edges of the facets. The Swarovski machine-cut crystal has a very clean, sharp edge between facets. Czech fire-polished beads have a slightly rounded edge. This is due to the heating process that gently melts the glass at the edge of the facets and on the edges of the holes. Czech fire-polished beads do not have lead content so they are not considered crystal. Swarovski beads are lead crystal (as they do have a lead content), which makes them richer and deeper in colour.
Czech seed beads and Czech fire-polished beads are optically polished for a scratch-free surface, which creates maximum brilliance.
Also called fire polish, is a process in which beads are machine faceted, then polished by glazing inside a red-hot glass oven. This softens the edges of the facets and gives the beads a smoother feel than machine polished crystal beads. Fire-polished beads traditionally originate in the Czech Republic.
Czech fire-polished beads have been immensely popular for over two centuries and their appeal is still growing today. Compared to the flat lap-polished beads, the fire-polished beads have three major advantages:
- No lead
- The intense heat of the furnace “fires” the facets smooth. The result is warm flashes of refracted fire, boiling up from the interior rather than the intense surface reflections of a lap-polished bead.
- Significantly better pricing
Quality
Our beads are made by Preciosa Traditional Czech Beads, formally Jablonex, a leading producer of cut crystal since 1948.
High-quality handmade lampwork beads are manufactured by Jablonex®, an integral name in glass beads for over 50 years. Each bead is handcrafted with precision and detail. Lampwork beads are created by heating a glass rod and winding it into the shape of the base bead. Then, intricate patterns and colors can be added to the bead with nearly limitless design possibilities. Early lampwork beads were created with the flame of an oil lamp, hence then name. Today, they are formed with torches.
Preciosa is a world leader in the manufacture of fine crystal chatons, beads, pendants and rhinestone jewellery components, boasting a vast array of cut, colour and coating options. Following centuries of Bohemian glass making traditions, Preciosa manufactures Genuine Czech Crystal — products that are recognized the world-over for superb quality and incredible value. Each Preciosa bead, pendant and component offers extraordinary aesthetic and optical qualities unsurpassed by lower quality imitators. As a direct importer and authorized distributor for Preciosa Genuine Czech Crystal we are pleased to offer our customers a wide selection of superior Preciosa products at remarkable prices.
Order our fire-polished bead necklaces jewellery online
or call 0419 213 266