8mm Carnelian Beads [47-49] (see Defects)
Style no.: | S026 |
Beads per lot: |
One 15" strand, or 47 to 49 beads (see Defects) |
Cost per bead: | 18 to 20 cents |
Bead material: | Semiprecious stone (carnelian, a form of agate) |
Country of origin: | China |
Size/shape: |
8mm round (spherical) |
Colors/description: |
Reddish brown; most beads have random white stripes, and some beads have clear areas. |
Hole size: | 1mm (estimated). |
Defects: |
I estimate that 2 to 5 beads per 15" strand are imperfect enough that you may not want to use them. Most of the defective beads are malformed, but a few are cracked. An additional number of beads may have minor defects, but the beads will be good enough that you'll probably use them. I took a smaller markup than usual on these beads because of the defects. |
How photographed: | At the window in natural daylight. |
Comments: |
If you have looked at the home page of this site, you may have seen the article about the silicosis that Chinese workers suffer from making semiprecious beads. However, the article is now many years old, and the conditions in Chinese factories may have improved (hopefully). I never made a commitment to carry no semiprecious beads, just less of them. The beads look like very nice beads, but I was disappointed by the percentage of defects. As I said above, I am taking a lower markup than usual. Despite that, I have found that you can probably buy similar beads on eBay at a lower price than what I am selling these for. Having purchased these beads from a supplier, the supplier is naturally taking a substantial cut. Prices on eBay are often so low that I am tempted to buy from eBay myself -- but what sense does that make when you can go there and buy the beads yourself? I'll have to decide whether it is worthwhile for me to carry semiprecious beads in the future. |
Date first posted: |
August 7, 2013 |
Supplier: | M |
Caleb's notes: |