Invented by the Romans and Egyptians, they incorporate many segments of a colored glass cane that has been sliced and molded back together again. The most common type of glass bead is the wound bead, where the glass is wound by hand around a wire, which is later removed. Lampwork beads are formed over a heating lamp and then elaborately decorated. The Venetian beadmakers had also perfected the production of the most highly used beads, the rocailles . These beads are the tiny seed beads used in embroiders even today.
Craftsmen form the beads by pulling a string of molten glass across a room.
This long tube of glass is then cut into tiny rocailles , little stones or tubes. European traders transmitted this type of bead around the world so that today, the rocaille is incorporated into many cultures. For example, in Africa, rocaille beads are used to form elaborate embroidered sculptures. The widespread popularity of these beads is due to the variety of colors and finishes that can be applied to them. Bugle beads and rocailles can be opaque or transparent, and every color of the rainbow can be added to the glass while it is being formed.