Click picture to see entire image:

Cost per bead:

16 cents

Bead material:

Glass

Country of origin:

Czech Republic

Size/shape:

12mm faceted ovals (these are not flat ovals; rather, they are football-shaped).

Colors/description:

Clear class with a metallic light-brown coating.

Hole size:

1mm (estimated).

Defects:

Fire-polished beads always have some imperfect facets, and these beads do as well.  Some beads look mostly perfect, but some will have a few facets that have little imperfections along the edges of the facets.  However, you have to look for the imperfections to see them, and I wouldn't say that these beads are any worse than other fire-polished beads.  One customer returned these beads because she wasn't happy with their condition, but she used a magnifying glass to examine them.  I consider their condition to be normal for fire-polished beads.

How photographed:

At the window in natural daylight.

Comments:

These are really quite magnificent beads.  Please note that in daylight they are substantially lighter than the picture indicates.