Viking inspired glass beads
My next project is making Viking jewelry inspired necklaces and lanyards. I have been hunting for suitable glass beads and reference images all winter. Viking bead replicas cost a fortune, so I had to find beads that resemble real Viking beads. Vikings brought beads for Asia, South Europe, Bysant and they also made their own beads after model beads brought from other countries. Luckily modern lamp glass technique and mosaic bead making are nearly identical compared to Viking era techniques.
Beads I got had different kinds of surfaces from matte to very smooth. I wanted uniform look, so I tested first time glass bead etching. Etchall solution made matter surface to all beads in just couple of minutes. When necklaces are ready, I will polish slightly bead surfaces so that they will look like real old beads. During Viking ages new glass beads would have been shiny and smooth like modern beads, but I am searching for more worn look.