After working for many hours on a nice herringbone rope, I suddenly noticed that some beads didn’t look right. Upon closer inspection it was clear that the metallic coating had worn off simply by holding and working with them!
Below you can see unused beads on the top, and the used beads that I pulled out of the necklace on the bottom.
Clearly I cannot sell this necklace. Since it is almost finished, I will finish it and wear it myself. But I have thrown the rest of the beads away!
I always thought that galvanized beads meant that they had a protective coat, like galvanized nails. But really it means that they are beads that have a coating. The beads above, for example, are white beads with a gold coating. There are many kinds of bead coatings, like AB or luster finishes. Many Swarovski crystals use coatings over clear beads to retain their unique colorations.
The problem with coatings is that they can wear off. Sunlight, skin oils, perfume, make-up, soap, etc., can all remove coatings on beads. Sometimes this is not critical, like with an AB coating. Some of that coating always wears off, but the basic bead color remains, so it isn’t as noticeable. Metallic coatings like the gold I used are notorious for wearing off of beads. You may not notice, but many beads contain warnings about this. Somehow, I always think that the manufacturers are just covering their buns and the coatings couldn’t really be that fragile. I see now that they can.
So what is a beader to do? First, try to determine whether or not the bead is coated. If it is a different color on the inside, then it may be. If you aren’t sure about a bead that you plan to use, give it a test first. Wash it with some soap and water, apply some friction. Perhaps spray it with a little perfume or leave it on a windowsill for a few days. See how the bead holds up. If the bead is a little iffy, you can try spraying it first with an art finishing spray. This isn’t permanent, but can add some resistance. Then test it out again.
The good news is that Toho and Miyuki have released beads that have what they are calling a “permanent” galvanized finish. It isn’t really permanent, but it is a lot more resistant to coming off of the bead. Toho still warns that they may be susceptible to continuous friction or use of organic solvents such as perfume. However, given the overall quality of these beads to begin with, I would assume that they are pretty resistant. And they come in fun metallic colors, too!
- Hot Pink Permanent Finish Beads
Motto of the story: Don’t use coated or galvanized beads unless you test them out first!