We measure our beads in millimeters because that’s how our bead makers work. Millimeters are also how pearls are measured. So most women are slightly familiar with the concept, just ask one if she prefers a 10mm pearl or an 8mm pearl.
A handy thing to remember is that 1 inch = ~25mm
You need to be a bit careful using the brass gauges. The electronic ones will give you a digital readout. They are more expensive and must be handled more carefully.
The brass gauge is inexpensive, easy to put in your pocket to take to bead shows or bead stores to be sure you are buying the right size.
We recently had a customer who was very unhappy because his 8mm beads were only 6mm. His exact words were
“I bought 8 mm glass beads from you. Measured on a gapper, these beads are 6 mm. What am I suppose to do? I need 8 mm not 6 mm. I am very disappointed. How could you so consistently mess this order up?”
Well it turns out he was misreading the gauge. But we can learn from his mistake.
What began as a fascination with the glass of Murano has become a way of life. Our webstore has all you will need to make jewelry, quality findings, stringing materials, Swarovski Crystals and a lot more, but our main focus is the Venetian Glass Bead. We have been an integral part in promoting Venetian glass beads throughout the world as well as helping to breathe new life into traditional Venetian techniques. A few years ago, we introduced our line of Venetian Dichroics to the US through as a result of years of efforts with our beadmakers in Murano. We continue to bring new and innovative ideas to this age old industry. Most recently, we developed the Furnace Glass along with our partner furnace in Venice. It's a blend of old glass making techniques to work with new fashion ideas.
We remain a family owned business located in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, CA, USA where we have been importing Venetian Glass and Murano Glass commercially since 1993. Our wholesale showroom has the largest collection of Venetian Beads on display anywhere.
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One thought on “Using a Bead Gauge”
As always, good info & help. I finally got a digital because, for the life of me, I cannot read a brass gauge. It’s a problem I have always had, so I opted for the digital right away.
Thank you for all the great blog, info on Venetian beads & life in Murano.
As always, good info & help. I finally got a digital because, for the life of me, I cannot read a brass gauge. It’s a problem I have always had, so I opted for the digital right away.
Thank you for all the great blog, info on Venetian beads & life in Murano.