Click picture to see entire image:

Cost per bead:

S025

Bead material:

hematite (iron)

Country of origin:

China

Size/shape:

8mm cube-shaped.  Unlike Czech beads, these cubes are 8mm from hole to hole, not from corner to corner, so they are quite large.

Colors/description:

Metallic dark gray.

Defects:

The beads appear to be in good shape, although an occasional bead has a nick or gouge.  I am removing defective beads as I see them, but I am not examining all six sides of every bead.

How photographed:

At the window in natural daylight.

Comments:

Hematite is iron oxide.  In some forms it is red, but this hematite is just iron-colored.  Actually, it looks like dark steel.  Please note that solid metal beads like this are heavier than glass.  These large cubes are especially heavy.