To compare light through a gemstone bead, look for the edge of a background shape behind it. Then look at the edge of the bead itself. A bright highlight tells you about the surface. The background gives you a better clue to how much detail you can see through the stone.
Transparent beads show background details
A transparent bead lets you see detail through it. A polished round can bend or distort a line, so the background may look larger or shifted inside the bead. In Frost Orbit, the clear quartz rounds have a glassy profile, with one silver-tone accent providing a small change in texture.
Translucent beads soften what is behind them
Light passes through translucent material, but the background detail looks blurred. In more opaque material, little or no light passes through at the thickness you are viewing. “Milky” describes a cloudy appearance that can still transmit light. Use Frost Angel and Ivory Quiet to compare two pale strands and how their cloudy whites look beside gold-tone details.
Compare photos in three steps
- Start with the full strand on a neutral background to see its overall colour.
- Look for a close-up with side lighting, which can reveal the depth of a clear bead or the glow around a cloudy edge.
- Check the material in the product description. Lighting, the background, bead thickness and editing all affect how transparent a bead appears in a photo.
Compare rose quartz and clear quartz in one bracelet, or browse the crystal bracelets to look at more strands.
For another example of cloudy translucence, see the GIA Rose Quartz Buyer’s Guide.
Studio images are based on photographs of the designs. Colour and clarity can vary.