Czech Fire-polished Beads – A Guide to Bead Coatings and Effects

Czech fire-polished beads - a versatle bead in a huge range of colours

Coatings and Effects on Czech Fire-polished Beads

Czech fire-polished beads are one of the most popular Czech glass beads and come in a great array of colours with various coatings and effects.  They are therefore a good choice for looking at some of the most popular colour options for Czech beads in general.  You will often find these coatings and effects used on other Czech glass beads such as CzechMates and Les Perles par Puca bead ranges.  We have highlighted here some of the most popular colours that you are likely to come across.

View fire-polished beads on our website

Plain opaque colours

One of the most popular plain colours is jet.  Plain colours such as chalk and alabaster are also widely used as the base for various coatings and effects.

Czech fire-polished beads
jet

Plain transparent colours

These are some of the most popular Czech fire-polished beads and come in a large range of sparkling colours

light sapphire
light sapphire
light Colorado topaz
light Colorado topaz

Half-coated

These Czech fire-polished beads beads have a coating applied to half the bead.  Common examples are gold and silver half coated beads which have a shiny metallic finish.

Gold amber half coated
Gold amber half coated
Silver Labrador half coated
Silver Labrador half coated

Fully coated beads including iris colours

The coating is applied to the whole bead.  The examples below have a shiny metallic finish applied to the whole bead.

gold amber fully coated
gold amber fully coated
crystal Labrador fully coated
crystal Labrador fully coated

Other popular examples of fully coated beads include iris colours.

blue iris
blue iris

AB colours

This very popular coating is named after the stunning Aurora Borealis lights.  It is normally a half-coating on fire-polished beads which may be applied to a transparent crystal bead, a transparent colour or an opaque colour.

emerald AB
emerald AB
Jet AB
Jet AB

Other half coated effects such as vitrail medium

This is similar to AB but in stronger colours on a transparent crystal bead.

vitrail half coated
vitrail half coated

Magic Colours

The magic colours are a set of six coloured effects which are also based on a transparent bead with the most popular being the lovely blue pink.

magic golden red (wine)
red brown magic
magic blue pink (blueberry)
blue pink magic

California Colours

These beads are half or fully coated with a shiny metallic finish.  One of the most popular is the fully coated California gold rush. Colours like Califoria blue on a crystal bead give vibrant flashes of colour.

Czech fire-polished beads
California blue
Czech fire-polished beads
California gold rush

Matt Metallic

Very popular metallic look coatings, often in neutral tones such as gold, silver and copper.  The matt metallic mixes are also widely available

crystal silver matt metallic
crystal silver matt metallic
crystal orange rainbow
crystal orange rainbow

Pastel

This popular group of colours comes in a very large range of shades which are often vibrant.  You can easily mix them with all sorts of shapes and sizes of other Czech beads as they are widely available.

pastel lila
pastel lila
pastel turquoise
pastel turquoise

Chalk

This is a small but popular range of colours with a chalk base which you can use to give a lovely subtle effect.

pink chalk
pink chalk
blue chalk
blue chalk

Chalk based beads are also available with some beautiful finishes such as the very popular blue lazure

Chalk lazure
Chalk lazure

Lustre

The lustre coating give a beautiful shiny finish to the bead, whether transparent or opaque.  It is often used on a chalk bead which gives a beautifully subtle effect.

Czech fire-polished beads
chalk white lustre
Czech fire-polished beads
chalk red lustre

Tweedy

A tweedy coating gives a flecked effect on an opaque bead.  Colours such as gold, silver and blue are often used on over a jet fire-polished bead base.

tweedy blue
tweedy blue
gold tweedy
gold tweedy

Opaque Picasso

These are often applied to blue, green and red beads and give a mottled effect.  The result can be rich and luscious and may be used as an alternative to some semi-precious beads. You can also use them to create lovely contrasts with plain opaque beads.

Coral red picasso
Coral red picasso
Blue turquoise picasso
Blue turquoise picasso

Opaque Travertine

This is similar to a Picasso effect but has a slightly different patterning.  A common example is jet travertine.

jet travertine
jet travertine

Opaque Nebula

These full coatings give an intense and varied colour to the bead.  You can therefore use them to create a rich and opulent look.

coral red nebula
coral red nebula
blue nebula
blue nebula

Laura Ells