A Touch of Glass: Designs for Creating Glass Bead Jewelry

“Before they even reach the jeweler, many glass beads are, in themselves, a complete expression of artistic endeavor.”
—Nancy Alden, from the introduction


Beautiful, affordable, and infinitely versatile, glass beads provide limitless design possibilities. A Touch of Glass shows crafters how to capture the allure of glass bead jewelry that rivals the elegance and intricacy of pieces made with more precious materials.

The 50 projects featured here were created by Nancy Alden and her Beadworks design team based on their extensive knowledge of designs that have lasting appeal. Whether it’s a classic necklace or contemporary earrings made from carefully crafted lampwork, dichroic, seed, or pressed glass beads, A Touch of Glass truly has designs for everyone.

With brilliant photographs, clear instructions, a primer on the basics of jewelry making, resources for locating all the tools you need, and enlightening tidbits about the evolution and history of glass beads and bead-making, A Touch of Glass is a must-have for any jewelry maker’s growing library.

NANCY ALDEN is a jewelry designer and cofounder of the Beadworks Group. As Beadworks’s principal buyer and designer, she has traveled the world in search of the most beautiful elements of jewelry design. Her knowledge of beads is unrivaled.