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Item no.:

G954

Bead material:

glass

Country of origin:

Czech Republic

Size/shape:

8mm flat ovals with rounded edges

Colors/description:

Black glass with coppery flakes and streaks; I don't know what the actual metallic substance is.

Defects:

The beads appear to be in good shape.  Some beads have less aventurine than others, and an occasional bead is misshapen.  The last time I stocked these beads, I noticed one bead with white dirt in the glass.

Comments:

The actual stone aventurine doesn't look anything like these beads.  Aventurine, which comes in several colors, doesn't have bold streaks of copper in it; rather, the copper is distributed throughout the stone in small flakes.  But the term "aventurine" has been adopted by bead-makers and suppliers to mean any kind of shiny coppery substance in a bead.

These beads are gorgeous, although I think the 12mm version (which I can no longer get) is more magnificent.