Czech Fire Polished Beads

What are fire polished beads? Fire polished beads are made by a cottage industry in the Czech Republic. They are an alternative more expensive machine cut or hand cut crystals. Composed of glass, these beads are "Fire Polshed" instead of being faceted and polished by hand. Fire polished beads are heated to a temperature just below where the glass will flow. As the glass heats it begins to shine and results in a remarkable sparkle. The fire polished beads are still annealed to harden them but the resulting beads are less expensive while retaining a smooth, shiny, faceted surface.