The flash and fun of fiber optic beads truly set them apart. Also called "synthetic cat's eye" beads, these beauties are actually made from the same material used in telephone technology. Their rich chatoyancy (or shimmer), is their most coveted and characteristic feature. Fiber optics are created from glass fibers. The fibers are fused and then machine-cut into shimmery beads.
Our line is grade-A quality and is available in variety of shapes and styles. These beads (most shapes) come in 15 colors:
 -011 White |
 -151 Pink |
 -291 Lavender |
 -341 Olive |
 -502 Aquamarine |
 -036 Light Gray |
 -225 Orange |
 -326 Light Yellow |
 -361 Green |
 -582 Montana |
 -037 Dark Gray |
 -271 Purple |
 -327 Mustard |
 -446 Light Blue |
 -601 Royal Blue |
For some reason, fiber optic material cannot be made in a bright red. The closest all the factories come is an orange or orange-red. We've always assumed this is because the spaces between the glass fibers weaken the red color. Our current suppliers in China are able to make two very different materials in the red-orange color:
- A fairly red fiber optic without a lot of chatoyancy in the finished bead.
- A bead with good chatoyancy, but the "eye" area is much whiter than most other fiber optic beads. This makes the red-orange color most visible on the sides/ends.
Also, we sometimes receive shipments of fiber optics that are not up to our standards. The beads usually have good color but little chatoyancy (sometimes they are nearly transparent). When this happens, we'll make the beads available at our bead shows and online at a reduced price, as a limited-stock or closeout item. If you can use this quality, please ask your salesperson.