Round gemstone beads are known to be some of the most visually impressive beads out there because of their organic and artistic style. While they aren’t exactly rare, they aren’t easy to make at home, either, which means you’ll have to go to a specialty store if you want to get your hands on them. Here’s everything you need to know about round gemstone beads and how they’re made so that you can make the best purchase possible the next time you see them in stock!
The Art of Creating A Smooth Stone
This guide on creating a smooth stone includes the steps of sourcing a rough stone, choosing colors, dyeing, polishing, and sealing the bead. A common misconception is that the round gemstone beads are perfectly spherical from the start. The truth is that they start out as an irregular shape, but are heated up so much in order to make them rounder.
Step 1 - Rough Cutting
The first step in creating round gemstone beads is called Rough Cutting. The beads are cut roughly into round shapes, but the hole in the center and the outside are not smooth or even yet. At this point, the color is a very dark shade of blue because it's only been heated for a few seconds at this point. This heat, if kept at its current temperature, will create a clear crystal and make it impossible to obtain the blue crystal.
Step 2 - Drilling
Drilling is the next step in the process and involves drilling through the center of the gemstone faceted beads to create a hole. These holes vary in size, depending on what type of beads are being drilled. For example, chandelier-style beads need holes that are around 2mm wide; pearls often require a drill with a bit size of .8mm or .9mm. The drills are shaped like needles, but with circular blades at one end instead of pointed ones. They have interchangeable heads for different types of materials (i.e., metal).
Step 3 - Faceting The Bead
In the faceting process, the rough stone is ground and polished with a metal lap until all edges are perfectly straight. Faceters use simple patterns to cut triangular shapes on the surface of the stone, called facets. This cuts away the excess stone and leaves a round surface on the bead's body with pointed points in six directions—north, south, east, west, up, and down. The gemstones can now be cut into different shapes depending on the desired result (e.g., square or rectangular). Faceted beads have five or more sides that have been painstakingly perfected by hand over hundreds of years. The time-consuming process involves grinding and polishing each facet of the gemstone with a metal lap to produce precise angles, which create flashes of brilliance that make faceted gemstones so popular among jewelry designers today.
Step 4 - Polishing
The last step in the process is polishing. This step not only creates a more elegant look but also eliminates any imperfections that could occur from drilling the hole. After this step, your beads are ready for you to create something stunning! Polished natural gemstones can be used as is or with other beads and charms of your choice. We carry a variety of stones and sizes so don't hesitate to contact us if you need help finding what you're looking for. We have gemstone beaded necklaces and bracelets available for purchase on our website.
Additional Tips and Tricks
-The process starts with the top piece of jewelry. It is carved from rock, most often crystal quartz. The rough-hewn piece is shaped by a master craftsman, who grinds and polishes it into the desired form.
-This top piece has the foot or bottom end cut off at an angle and a hole drilled into it with a diamond-tipped drill bit.
-Next, a metal rod called a mandrel is inserted through the hole in the stone. A metal bead cap is placed on one end of the mandrel and molten glass is carefully ladled over both pieces.
-The bead cap acts as insulation against any outside heat that could crack or damage the gemstone while it cools, while also serving as protection for both craftsmen's hands during this delicate stage.
Conclusion
Round gemstone beads are created through a process called polishing. The initial bead is actually an octahedron, which has four identical flat faces and six square sides. This shape is achieved through the combination of different types of crystal, such as quartz and feldspar. When these raw materials come into contact with each other during the heating process, they form a molten mass that assumes this shape. Polishing follows the same general procedure for all-wholesale gemstone beads. The first step is smoothing down the rough edges on both sides of the bead by cutting them off and sanding them down. Then, it's important to polish off any irregularities left behind from sanding by rubbing them in one direction across an abrasive surface such as wood or stone.round beads