“Hollow” means a lot of different things when you talk about beads and findings. Let’s look at hollow sterling beads…
Hollow sterling silver beads all have one thing in common — they’re light in weight and they’re more affordable than solid silver beads.
- There are organic-shaped hollow sterling nugget beads. They’re hollow because they’re a continuous surface like a pebble, only empty inside:
Hollow...
- Hollow silver roller beads are hollow because they’re essentially made from tubing:
...toroidal...
- Silver teapot charms are hollow because they’re shaped like a real teapot, with room inside for a tiny drink:
...concave
If you really think about it, “hollow” could mean even more things…how about those deeply pockmarked lava beads? Leave a comment to suggest more ideas about hollow beads!
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Dave: I believe that the hollow nugget beads are electroformed. As are some new shapes of silver bead, like the 24-975-27, which is coming soon. I think these are a great way to get a more substantial bead in precious metal while keeping the cost realistic.
Actually, the basic round sterling beads are esentially “hollow”, too.
Thanks for the background info, Hutch!