What is the Difference Between Glass Beads and Crystal Beads?
The manufacture of glass and crystal beads is a magical process. Glass in its most basic form is molten sand that is combined with various additives and cooled with such celerity that crystal structures have no time to form. While in a solid state, silica sand is mixed with an alkali substance, like soda ash, to lower the melting point of the sand and therefore make it easier to work with. The soda ash causes the mixture to become water soluble, which is not the intended result. Lime, procured from limestone, is added to reverse this effect.
