Galvanised beads-coating coming off

That sucks... As for Krylon spray- you can use any clear artist's fixative spray (the stuff they use over drawings and paintings) which is avaible in art supply stores.

I am sorry this has happened to your friend. Any responsible shop will inform you of this problem before the sale. The tip for the Krylon (or any acrylic based spray) is also only temporary. When the Krylon wears off you still have the galvanized coating beneath.

A person with a higher pH level will wear away that coating quickly. I personally cannot even touch those beads, the coating comes off immediately. However, some folks seem to have hardly any trouble at all with the beads. Over time, it will still wear away.

The reason for continuing to sell galvanized beads, for myself anyway, is supply and demand. My customers will not allow me to discontinue the silver & gold. I have dropped all the other colors in that finish though. Your shop owner, the Mill Hill company and the factory in Japan all continue to produce and sell because the market requires it. The next alternative to replace them is considerably more expensive.

Always ask first, if you do not know. And if your shop owner does not know, ask elsewhere.

Beki

I've used both galvanized and plated (or is the metallic finish fired on?) seed beads, and definitely prefer the plated/fired ones. However, I have discovered at least one instance where the galvanized beads worked out.

I did a piece of peyote stitch over an object with the galvanized gold. Naturally, the gold paint rubbed right off. However, it only rubbed off the outside (front-side), and not the inside, so that the gold color in the back makes the nekkid, clear bead sparkle like foil on the back of a rhinestone. It's a different effect than you get with silver-lined beads, and you have to be careful about the color of your thread since it shows.

Arondelle

Re: Mill Hill galvenized beads

These are a Japanese product (Toho?), intended more for "crafts" than for "permanent" jewelry. Many very intricate "crafts" projects done in Japan are "tossed" after a very short time-- the "holiday" is over, and storage space is close to non-existant. The joy is in the doing, not the having. Kaytee "Simplexities" on

I made some sun catchers from galvanized beads, which faded. I agree that it's stupid to sell a product that appears to be durable but is not. I tell people not to trust that sort of bead. I have gotten to the point now where almost all of my beads are clear (colored) glass. No lined beads. But beads wsilver foil or leaf still work well if the metal is surrounded by the glass where it can't be rubbed off.

Trouble is, there are still lots of people who want to buy the beads, so they keep getting made and sold.

Tina