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Bead making and drilling

· 1 min read · Techniques

Illustration: Bead making and drilling

A bead is a drilled piece for stringing. Stone ones are cut into spheres, discs, tubes, rondelles and free forms.

Steps of the technique: Cut, Round, Drill, Final shape, Polish, Sort
Summary of the steps

From block to bead #

  1. The stone is cut into pieces or cubes.
  2. The shape is rounded in a drum or on a wheel.
  3. It is drilled with a diamond bit, with water to cool.
  4. It is polished in a drum with abrasives.

Shapes #

Spheres, rondelles, tubes, ovals, faceted and briolettes (faceted teardrop-shaped).

Quality #

A good bead is round, with a centered, clean hole, and of uniform size among those on a strand.

Pearls and seeds #

Pearls are drilled with a fine bit; seeds and wood are drilled dry.

Step by step #

  1. Cut. Cut the stone into cubes.
  2. Round. In a drum or on a wheel.
  3. Drill. With a diamond bit and water.
  4. Final shape. Spheres, rondelles or tubes.
  5. Polish. In a drum with fine abrasives.
  6. Sort. Group by size and quality.

Tools and materials #

  • Diamond saw
  • Drum or wheel
  • Diamond drill bits
  • Cooling water

Common mistakes #

  • Drilling dry: it overheats and splits.
  • Off-center holes.
  • Mixing sizes on a strand.
  • Not washing away residues.

See also #

This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.