12/0 Goldenrod Yellow silver lined square hole antique Murano glass seed beads vintage Italian Venetian SL

10 gram package. These are size 12/0 square hole silver lined beads that sparkle. I had a particularly difficult time photographing these. Compared to the photos, my eyes see a hint of green that my computer monitor doesn't show. What I can see is that they are very sparkly and a special color.

In the early 20th century, these rare beads were painstakingly hand manufactured by master craftsmen in the fabled Societa Veneziana Conterie glass factories of Murano, Italy. The slight irregularities in size and shape are an expected and natural result of the production process, which is a lost art.

The photo of the bead card shows what one inch of each size of seed bead looks like. Modern beads typically come in sizes 6/0 (not shown), 8/0, 10/0 (not shown), 11/0, and 15/0. There is a noticeable difference among manufacturers, and the diameter/thickness ratio varies greatly in both modern and antique beads, which can cause differences of opinion in sizing. The fourth column shows the delightful variety of sizes formerly made by hand in the storied bead factories of Italy and France, all the way down to 25/0.

The third photo shows a penny for size comparison. Nothing shown in the photos other than the beads is included in your purchase.