6mm Copper Iris Teardrop Beads [100] (see Comments)

Cost per bead:

4.5 cents

Bead material:

Glass

Country of origin:

Czech Republic

Size/shape:

6mm teardrops (6mm from end to end) with the hole through the small end.

Colors/description:

Glass beads (probably clear) with a metallic coppery coating that has some colorful highlights (that's the "iris" part).

Hole size:

1mm (estimated).

Defects:

The beads appear to be in good shape, although an occasional bead may be malformed.

How photographed:

At the window in natural daylight.

Comments:

IMPORTANT:  The actual beads are much brighter (i.e., more coppery) than the picture indicates.  The picture was fixed up on a CRT monitor, and apparently that makes it look dark on LCD monitors, which is what most people now use (including me).

The beads probably have some metal in the coating, but I don't know if it is actual copper.  I don't know if the coating is fire-polished onto the beads, but I have never known this type of coating to come off.