Hi Kathryn, if you're new to beading, you should consider joining our Facebook group for Beading and Jewellery Making. The members are friendly and very helpful, and we have everyone from beginners to designers, so you can ask questions and learn some tips and techniques.
I ALWAYS seem to be drawn to beads that wear off. I love the galvanized. I often bead things that are not worn, but even in the process of beading I will notice it wearing off. I wasn't really sure how much better the duracoat & permafinish were. Thank you for the in depth video. I do use the new finishes, but I will do so with more confidence.
Hi April, don't forget about our Permalac bottles, you can apply it with the little brush and it will protect your beadwork. You can re-apply it as needed.
Thank you Allie for this great information. I am glad to see the companies seeing a need for improvement and doing whatever needs to be done to help our beading stay beautiful.
Better Beader episode just full of info-thanks, Allie, for providing us with info so we are able to make better decisions when it comes to choosing beads for our projects.
Whenever I have a question about beading, you are always there with a thorough and clearly explained answer thank you dearly happy beading to you, imagine the melodies we create in our relationships when they echo out from our hands.
Thank you so much for this information. The first bracelet I made the gold wore off very quickly. I asked about it at one of my local bead stores and they said they had never seen that happen before. I almost gave up beading because of it. Your video gave me the information and confidence to remake all of my bracelets. Thank you.
Don't forget about Permalac. It will protect your beads from scratches, but you may need to re-apply it as needed, depending on how much wear and tear the piece gets, especially for rings.
Thank you so much for this video. I’ve been bead stitching for a while, but just been playing around with cheap seed beads I’d pick up in hobby shops. I had some silver beads and, as I used them on patterns, I’d discover the silver coming off, leaving a lovely murky grey 🤢 Anyway, your video has really helped, I know exactly what I need now to start creating properly. Thank you, and if I’m ever in the US, I’d love to visit your shop, it looks amazing 🤩
Hola Ali! Me encanta todo lo qué haces😍 Cada vez que veo tus videos me llama mucho la atención tu tienda!! Porque no nos das un tour para conocerla!!! Denle un like si les gusta mi petición😃🤗
Thanks! New beader here!! Instantly noticed the preciosa Czech beads in my collection lose color while still in the tube. The Walmart seed beads I won’t even go near. They are as good as trash. Thanks for informing me on these new processes. But I feel like you are only referring to miyuki beads? Do the Toho beads also have protective coatings?
Hello! Yes, Toho also carries a line of seed beads with an extra protective coating called Permafinish. This is equivalent to Miyuki's Duracoat Galvanized seed beads. In case you would like to see them, here is the link! www.potomacbeads.com/toho-seed-beads-size-11-0-permafinish-colors
Really excellent explanation. I always wondered what "galvanized" and "Duracoat" mean. However, I'm still wondering what "Ceylon" means. I looked it up and all I find is that is a high-end deep blue sapphire. I doubt that's applicable to seed beads. Could you please clue me in?
Ceylon is the former name for Sri Lanka. It's known for its long history of pearls and pearl divers (as well as its tea!). In the case of seed beads, it refers to a shimmer or pearly coating on the beads.
I'm thinking of using beads in a knitted circular shawl where the shawl is folded over at the top and then draped around the shoulders. My yarn is dark blue and I want a bead that will shimmer, but not necessarily stand out. I'm think about using a Delica translucent rainbow cobalt bead. It does say the finish will wear off with use. Would you expect that with a knitted shawl, where there isn't a lot of skin contact, would need 5000+ beads (#8) coated with Permalac? The dark blue yarn with the rainbow cobalt (thinking translucent would be better than matte as the dark yarn would tone it down) should be stunning. Thoughts?
Very interesting and informative! I always learn so much from you! Thank you for sharing 💜 I noticed you mentioning Permalac to quite a few people. I have a couple questions. Is that also for prevention of allergies? Also, if the bead color wears off while making the piece, do you coat them as you’re using them? Would you just pile a bunch on a paper plate and coat them? I’m not sure how I’d do that. Thank you in advance. 💜
The best advice is not to wear your beadwork when doing heavy duty tasks like washing up or gardening, etc. Your pieces will last a lot longer with the proper care. You can also protect them further by using Permalac, search our website for it. You can re-apply it whenever you need it.
In 2013, we went on a guided tour of the factory and Nathan took several videos on his phone. This is the one about the coatings and how they are applied: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5IcMLDgKtP8.html
Have also h the color on superduos come off even before I finished the bracelet. The color was copper. Will they be putting the extra coating on superduos?
These coatings were for Japanese seed beads. For Czech beads, the Capri Gold is the one that wears off the fastest, but you can always apply Permalac to them, that will help, depending on the wear and tear. You can re-apply it as often as you need it.
Say I buy toho metallic bronze. If it doesn't say P.F it's going to rub off after time? I've heard of beaders spraying clear lacquer on their beads to help the finish last longer. What's your take on that, is it good, bad, or just not helpful?
There are a lot of factors that go into how a finish wears, but yes Permalac coatings are going to last much longer. If you aren't sure, you can always use something like Permalac to increase the life and durability: www.potomacbeads.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=permalac+NT&Submit=Search
Theresa Ainge I've used Future floor wax to coat my pieces that need to be stiff. It's just acrylic. But it will cause a piece to not move, so best for things like earrings etc
Sorry, I meant Toho's Permafinish. Permalac is the protective coat we sell in our store, which will add further protection. You need to remember that these are glass beads and anything on glass will wear off if you don't look after it. Avoid wearing your beautiful beadwork when you're doing tougher chores like washing the dishes, or gardening, etc.
