Click picture to see entire image:

Cost per bead:

$1.20

Bead material:

Glass

Country of origin:

Czech Republic

Size/shape:

18mm long, 12mm wide, rectangles with polished 'windows' that have a pattern in them (4-5mm thick).

Colors/description:

A mixture of white, light green, red, and mustard yellow (and possibly other colors), with a brown picasso coating around the edges and in the grooves of the pattern.

Hole size:

1mm (estimated).

Defects:

I eliminate seriously defective beads before shipping.  I eliminate beads that have these defects:  clearly visible cracks; chips; deep or long scratches; unpolished or partially polished windows; and dimples in the corners that cause the corners to appear rounded.  However, I don't eliminate beads that have these defects:  cracks that are hard to see without a magnifying glass (see comments below); small or shallow nicks or scratches; picasso coating on the edges of the windows or on areas of the windows where it doesn't normally occur; windows that have been over-polished so that most of the pattern has disappeared; ridges along the edges where some of the glass escaped the mold, if the ridge isn't uneven or very prominent; or dimples in the corners if the dimples don't cause the corners to be significantly rounded.  (Large rectangular beads often have depressions on the sides near the corners which I call "dimples".  They are a defect, but they are too common for me to eliminate all beads which have them.)  These beads are too expensive to eliminate every bead that has a slight defect.  They are very rustic in appearance, and many defects won't be visible or noticeable.  You are always free to return beads for a refund if you feel I have allowed too many defects.

How photographed:

At the window in natural daylight.

Comments:

When I started my Premium section, I resolved that I would sell only perfect beads.  These beads, however, are about 20% cracked.  Of those, I would say that half have cracks that are obvious, and half have cracks that are hard to see.  I immediately decided to return the beads, but then I looked at them again, and decided that they are just too gorgeous.  They look like semiprecious stones, which is very hard to achieve with glass.  And they have so many lovely colors in them!  So I made a compromise:  I will eliminate the beads with the worst cracks, but I will sell beads that have hard-to-see cracks.  And instead of taking the entire loss myself for the defective beads, I have raised the priced by about 8%.  I think that's a fair compromise.  So for this style of patterned beads only, you should expect to get some cracked beads, though the cracks won't be obvious.  You can always return them if you aren't satisfied.  I have seen no evidence that any of these beads will break apart.