9mm Topaz/Gold Luster Oval Beads [50]

Cost per bead:

8.4 cents

Bead material:

Glass

Country of origin:

India

Size/shape:

9mm to 10mm long ovals; about 7mm wide.

Colors/description:

Translucent topaz beads with an iridescent gold-luster coating.

Hole size:

1.5mm (estimated).

Defects:

These are Indian beads, so the shape isn't perfectly uniform from one bead to the next.  My examination of the beads didn't turn up many defects.

How photographed:

At the window in natural daylight.

Comments:

The supplier says these are clear beads with a "honey" coating, but they appear to be topaz to me, with a gold-luster coating.  Indian beads are always more rustic than Czech beads, but I like the look.  The picture is a little dark.  Also, I've noticed that the actual beads can look more or less topaz, or more or less gold, than the picture shows.  As I write this, I am posting the 2nd batch of these beads, and to my eyes they look a bit more gold and a bit less topaz than the picture indicates.  The color, however, is still very striking.  (Indian beads are supposed to be more poorly made than Czech beads, but the intense color of these beads is wonderful.)

Regarding the hole size, that is an estimate on my part (I never found the right kind of tool for measuring holes, so I have to estimate).  The holes definitely look a bit bigger than the holes in Czech beads.