Is There Quality In Buying "Plastic/Resin/Acrylic" Beads?

When it comes to the art of jewelry making, there's a certain stigma about "plastic" beads. Plastic/resin/acrylic beads are considered to be the less desirable, bottom of the totem pole component when it comes to constructing jewelry. I hate the idea that some artist won't even take a look at these lovely and creative beads simply because they feel that these beads are of very low quality and nothing beautiful can come from them. Well, that simply isn't true and today, I am going to take a moment to talk about the quality in resin beads. No jewelry snobbery here, :-). I always try to remain open to various materials as you never know when a beautiful design may pass you by, that is, if you are not open to the entire world beads. I am totally for anything that is beautiful and try to get the best quality for my dollar and pass it along to my lovely clients. Yeah to supporting the handmade movement!!!!

So one day, as I sat around looking at my bead inventory, I came across some lovely handmade rich indigo (pictured above) resin beads that I purchased from Yuki Designs (an Etsy store), some time last year. These beads are very smooth to the touch and they have such a rich hue to them. I began to wonder about the difference between handmade resin beads and the acrylic/plastic beads that I come across sometimes when I visit Joann's and Michael's and other stores I visit. I purchased a book by author Genevieve A. Sternbenz titled, "Mastering The Art of Beading". This book broke down exactly what I thought about the difference between low quality and high quality plastic/resin beads. There is a difference and you must also know there are some really expensive resin/plastic beads out there that are considered vintage or handmade resin. If you currently have any resin beads in your collection, take a moment to examine your  beads. Always know that high quality plastic/resin beads do not have visible seams within them. Some of the cheaper beads, you will notice a seam right off the bat, jagged even (see comparison pictures below). The first picture of colorful resin beads are handmade crackle resin and faux Copal amber resin beads. The second picture, although vintage in

age, are plastic beads. If you look carefully, you can see the seam(s) right in the middle of the beads and the seams is very prominent. The first picture of beads have no seams at all and are smooth all the way around. It makes a difference when it comes to the overall look of the piece that you are constructing. Not to take anything away from inexpensive plastic beads. They are still beautiful. You just want to make sure you are educated about what you purchasing as the bead consumer and as the customer when you go looking for your next piece of jewelry rather it is a handmade piece or something from Charming Charlie (which is definitely a weakness for me). The positives of buying resin beads are very attractive:

• Endless brilliance in choice of colors
• Endless choice of shapes
• Endless choice of sizes, without the weight
• Added style and design at the fraction of the cost, which savings can be passed to the  consumer and still have something handmade and stylish.
• Very durable
• Can blend beautifully with other semiprecious stones to create a very unique and lightweight piece of jewelry.
• Add a very nice variety in our bead stash
• Accessibility
• More practical for the life of someone very active (mothers, teachers, organizers, etc.)

The beads pictured to the left are very unique and eye catching. They are definitely along the lines of art and fall into the abstract category in my opinion. I could not foresee how these beads could be constructed using actual stones without the weight and price tag associated with that process. This piece is full of fun and is something more practical for an individual that has a more physically demanding lifestyle which means they would need jewelry that can withstand constant moving but with style and grace. As soon as you see jewelry like this, it strikes a mood of certain happiness and whimsicality in your step. You would never see someone somber in a piece this vivid, would you? I guess it all depends on what floats your boat and needs for that particular day. So, my style of jewelry is very versatile and I like to fit the changing needs of the moment. I can definitely go from heavy brass, to light hearted vintage and through to bright resins. I just love beads. There's nothing I can say past that.

The next high quality "resin or plastic" beads you need to become familiar with is Bakelite and Lucite. You cannot tell me the above photos isn't juicy and scrumptious enough to make you want to bite into it? These beads are among the most collected and prized plastic beads. These beads have been out of production for quite some time (decades), although some companies have decided to regenerate the old recipes using some of the old molds, etc. to reproduce these beads. They carry nice price if you are lucky to run across some of the pieces. So, I wouldn't consider these practical for the lady that has a family of 4 rambunctious boys that love everything about their mother, even down to the beautiful bright vintage necklace that they must touch, since it looks like fruit (I would touch it, too) but rather the lady that can, amongst a hectic life, put her finer things to the side for a moment when she needs to feel just simply radiant (a nice outing away from her littler soccer team, :-) ).

Felted Wood & Resin Beads courtesy of MorganWillis.com

For all you beaders out there, please take a moment to look at jewelry composed of a mixture of resin beads and semiprecious beads. For the curious customers, take a look online at some of the resin jewelry you see and even few some of the works at your local boutiques. Quality doesn't always mean it has to be the finest of metals and precious of stones. Beauty resonates in anything the mind can come up with to design. Jewelry from the beginning of time to the baubles we have now, in any medium, are so beautiful. I want to wear them all. I leave with some awesome photos handmade resin jewelry that should spark your thirst this season for the colorful creations.