Click picture to see entire image:

Cost per bead:

9 cents

Bead material:

Glass

Country of origin:

Czech Republic

Size/shape:

8mm round, faceted.

Colors/description:

Clear glass with a gold/fuchsia luster coating sprayed on one side of each bead.  I doubt that there is real gold in the coating.

Hole size:

1mm (estimated).

Defects:

I haven't noticed any significant defects (beyond a chip out of one bead).  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:

The coating on these beads seems to be a mixture of gold and fuchsia.  In the past, it was my opinion that gold coatings refract light and cause pink reflections within the bead, and that may be what is happening here.  However, close inspection of the bead seems to show that the coating is a mixture of gold and fuchsia.