What is the difference between artist beads and the cheap ones?
Quality.
I know it's cliche, but you get what you pay for.
Cheap beads are generally made with inferior glass (cloudy clears and scummy colors), aren't properly kiln annealed, may have rough edges, and are rarely cleaned as they tend to break in water. Frequently they break at the slightest bump or even arrive broken. If you are making jewelry for sale with these beads you may want to reconsider because an unhappy customer can spread bad things about you pretty quickly.
It can be hard to tell the difference between artist beads and those made in factories in China and elsewhere. This is because some unscrupulous import sellers make themselves look like artisans. They list in the handmade lampwork US category on ebay and make up multiple names for themselves.
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