Novobeads Old Glory Blue Signature CZ Review

A Beadthrilled friend asked if I had seen the Novobeads Signature CZ beads as she was wondering just how brilliant the colors are. So here is my review of my Novobeads Old Glory Blue Signature CZ bead.


Bear in mind, I'm not a professional photographer and I'm just using my cell phone camera and sparkly beads are always hard to photograph. :) Really my pictures do not do justice to these beads.

Now you are probably thinking, are these pictures of the same bead?? Yes. Yes it is. With different lighting.

Incandescent Lighting

Natural light from window 

Fluorescent Lighting

If you look at the Side view in my photograph below you can see indentations in the side of the sterling silver core. The indentations I believe are the Novobeads Signature N stamp and the 925 metal stamp denoting sterling silver. I can't say for sure because I don't have a magnifying glass handy and it is tiny!

Front and Side View

Dimensions: 10 mm (along the bracelet), 4.5 mm diameter hole, 14 mm overall diameter

Pro: Color changing bead! I really love the fact that it looks different in different lighting.

Pro: This bead is made of Cubic Zirconia which means it is quite durable and sparkly. After all it is often used as a diamond substitute. It is an 8 on the Mohs scale, while glass is 5.5 and diamond is 10.

"The Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohs_scale_of_mineral_hardness

Pro: Large diameter hole making it compatible with other competing charm bracelets.

Con: At least for the bead I have, it does not look like the stock photo. I honestly think my bead is gorgeous but it wasn't what I was expecting.

Old Glory Blue Stock Photo

Purple Panache Stock Photo

At this point in time, all my beads have been bought online so it can be quite a surprise for me when the beads arrive. I actually called the seller and asked them if they had sent me the wrong bead by accident. I thought perhaps my bead might have been the Purple Panache CZ (even though it didn't really look like my bead either but I thought it looked closer). I even included a picture of my bead so they could see what I meant. She assured me that my bead was indeed an Old Glory Blue CZ. She told me that all the Old Glory Blue CZs she has seen in her store have all been more lavender than blue.

Another thing I learnt was that there will be variations between beads. I found a picture browsing on Flickr of a lady who had an Old Glory Blue Signature CZ. Her bead looks a lot more like the stock photo.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/75667634@N00/8433685087/

I was still skeptical at first and even contacted Novobeads customer service with an email about my bead. They responded right away telling me that my bead was indeed an Old Glory Blue CZ. Customer service told me that the Old Glory Blue CZ is made by using a lavender CZ and adding a blue acrylic to the core.
Good to know.

On the bright side, most online stores have a reasonable return policy for a full refund or exchange, so if you are ordering online and are afraid it might not be what you like, check their return policy first.


Conclusion: If you like sparkly beads, you'll probably love this. I love to see the light reflecting off the bead and the play of colors. I do recommend that you try and buy this in person if you can, especially if you have your heart set on a particular shade.

I'll leave you with a few more pictures of this lovely bead in action.

This is not a bracelet combo I have ever worn. I just threw all the beads I got in my order and took a picture for record keeping. It does give you an idea of how the Old Glory Blue Signature CZ looks with silvers and the Mini CZ beads.

From left to right:

Electric Anchor Slide
Sunrise Mini CZ

Pine Cone
Citron Mini CZ
Sunset Mini CZ
Kimono
Old Glory Blue Signature CZ

Liberty Bell
Grapefruit Mini CZ
Indigo Horizon Mini CZ
Mask
Indigo Horizon Mini CZ
Hushed Forest Mini CZ
Novobeads Electric Anchor Slide

This bracelet below is the one I am currently wearing. I have my mini "homemade" stoppers around each bead to hold it in place.

From left to right (2nd Picture):

Novobeads Electric Anchor Slide
ThinkGeek Space Lampwork

Novobeads Green Pasture Signature CZ
Novobeads Old Glory Blue Signature CZ

Novobeads Electric Anchor Slide

Beads are worn on a Novobeads Silver Bracelet (6.5") with the Maple Leaf Clasp and Safety Chain.