Click picture to see larger image:

Item no.:

F349

Bead material:

glass

Country of origin:

Czech Republic

Size/shape:

8mm round, faceted

Colors/description:

Translucent cobalt blue glass with a vitrail coating on part of each bead.  Vitrail coatings are multicolored metallic coatings which are fired onto the bead; the colors in this coating are gold, orange, fuchsia, blue and aqua.

Defects:

I haven't noticed any significant defects.  However, fire-polished beads always have some imperfect facets.  To read about the fire-polishing process, click here.

How photographed:

At the window in natural daylight.

Comments:

I've never seen a cobalt bead with a vitrail coating before; the colors mix together well enough, but not as naturally as other vitrail beads I've seen.  My picture, as usual, doesn't show the intense, almost purplish color of the cobalt glass.