January is a busy month for beading. We are all trying to get ready for the next season, Tucson show starts at the end of the month and, as almost every year at this time, we are anxiously waiting for the launch of the new glass beads from the Czech Republic. It seems like there is no end to the ingenuity of the Czech bead-masters. This year we’ll soon be able to play with CzechMates 3-hole Beam Beads, CzechMates 2-hole Cabochons and Prong Beads.

CzechMates 3-hole Beams look like stretched 2-hole Bars with a third hole added in the middle. 3-hole beams are 10×3 mm in size. They can be used as spacers or with other beads as linking components . Free patterns for all three shapes are already available on our site, so please check out free patterns.

CzechMates 2-hole Cabochons are flat at the bottom and have a domed top. These beads were first offered for a pre-sale as 6mm Cabochons and then while we were all waiting for the delivery Czech manufacturer reclassified them as 7mm. Their actual size is 6.5mm so be careful not to confuse them with 2-hole Cabochons which look identical but are smaller and measure exactly 6mm. The size difference when you compare both Cabochons is quite dramatic.

Prong Beads look like a shark’s tooth and measure 6×3 mm. They have only one hole and can be used individually as small drops or in bead-weaving patterns.

All three new Czech bead shapes are available now in a large assortment of colors on Eureka Crystal Beads website.