The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-02-13
How Venetian Beads are Made.

/ have seen them make beads IN
Venice, and very interesting work IL
8, A man takes cylinder OF glass,
say two inches thick by seven or eight
inches long, so hot that II is'soft, rolls
II smoothly round ON a table and
punches q hole through II lengthwise
with an iron rod Then two boys seize
liz ends with pincers and run away
rapidly In opposite directions, The
faster they run and the further thoy go
before the glass cools 10 that II win no
longer draw, the finer will be the rod
they will pull II out 10, and thin az II
may be, that rod will be hollow all tho
way through, But II will not all be OF
the same thickness, In tho center IL
will be very thin, and toward the ends
viii be less 80. Therefore the work.
man br AXIS II up into short rods and
carefully sorts thom 20 get together
those OF like diameter. Then the beads
are cut from tho ends OF those rods, u
handful OF them at time, ~ you
would cut oil bits from bunch OF
grass, How they do that l never quite
understood, There Is something In II |
did not learn, for tho rods are cold,
| Tho beads are cut of without smashing
even the most delicate, and with the
greatest accuracy In length. All can
say 10, they do II, and for the proof
thore aro Tho beads, Now, 10 smooth
tho ends OF those little bits, which have
sharp edges, quantities OF them are put
In big drums with pshos, and NJ apretty
high temperature are royolyed there
until they are round and smooth. II
they are 10 be sold merely IA round
"seed" beads they are ut this point iin-
ished, and are put upon strings by chill
dren. The rapldity with which that Is
done 10 astonishing. Each child has
before II n great pile Of the bends, and
In each hand holds four or five long
| threaded needles, which aro rapidly
thrust into the pile until each needle IL
full, when the beads are pushed back
on tho threads, An attempt has been
made TO introduce unstrung beads, but
consumers would not have them, Tho
strlnging Is the practical evidence that
each bead Is perfect, and that Is de-
manded.
There IL still another way In which
beads are made In Venice; and that Ia
over lamp that keeps n glass red hot
while the artisan molds other oolorod
glasses ON II, or shapes II Into the
strange forms you have seen among the
old samples, In that branch OF man,l-
facture, however. tho skilled glass
workers Of Bohemia, ThuIinga aud
Paris come into direct competition, os'
pccially In tho production Of the beau.
tlful rather than tho quaint In bead
work. To revert 10 the great staple
product, the round seed beads, II II ID
desired TO still further Increase their
beauty and value, they aro sent Ia
Bohemia, whore, around Gablou1 and
Liebenau mainly, thoy are cut, That
work have never seen done, and how
| II IL done don't know. only know
that the workmcn there arc capable ol
| taking round seed boads, ~ small as
tho very smallest pin-honds, and ac'
ouratcly grinding on thom from three
TO five smooth polished faces, M may
bo required. Tho more they aro cul
the more valuable they are. Here, foi
instance, arc somo ruby'colorod ones,
cut five times-mero specks, you 500
which are worth 10 import about Sl2,b(
u pound. Thoy aro sold In lunches
Each bunch consists Of 100 strings
upon each Of which are ton dozens o
beads, and the bunch IN worth Sl.2i
wholesale. Retailers generally, makt
from ~ 10 100 por cent. profit on them
Those ilne.cut beads are used In max
Ing those fine dress trimmings thai
sometimes sell M high M $50 a yard,
Difference In color OF seed beads makol
no difference In price, and size docs mo-
very greatly Affect value, but tho cut
ting does, enormously. Tho chcapos
kinds are only worth twelve cents I
pound.
OF tho fine and bigh.prced hollow
ball beads-Roman pearls, mlrrol
bonds, oto,-whioh ARE much used 10,
necklaces for ball, opera and wedding
dresses, tho best come from Paris
Each bead Ia mado separately, blown u
the end OF n tube OF soft glass, ant
shaped ~ required. either by hand o.
In n mold. II II Ia 10 initiate pearl
It's interior IL coated with q preparation
made from the soalos Of certain kin,
Of fish taken In the Mediterranean, M,
that Ia protected by wax In the ohoal
kind only ono or two ooatings Of wn,
will DO given, but tho best aro llllod vi
solld, which gives them much create
strength. Colors arc given 10 thcm b!
tnting tho wax. For Tho mirror bond
quioksilyering like that used 10 max,
looking.glasacS must bo laid on coat
Ing inside, Tho workmon have 10 aucl
II up into tho little bulbs--.a very un
healthy occupation, Those pearl bead
range In price from "a gross Of string
ton Inches long up 10 % or ~ q dolol
for strings Of tho eamo longth. Siz
Affects their value. but not q great deal
Thoy arc In MI possible tlnts, and II !
nn interesting fact that u you shout
have hundred kinds OF them som
woman would DO certain 10 como In an,
demand ono kind YOU Ind not,
| The attompt has boon made 10 manu-
faoturc bends In this country, but, OK
copt for tho immediate supply Of n par
tIcular demand At cost ilvo tlmcs a6ov
that OF tho imported articles, tho on
deavor has boon failure, Tho sco
beads and buglos--olongated bcads-
for dress trimmings, made IN Ven
loo, amount In value 10 somo 1000,
900 francs por annum, and the Unlte'
States Ia tho sixth largest consumer 0
that supply, Cor, ~ y. Sun