Help please on etiquette of returning cracked beads

[beadifferent]

Hi
Not sure where to place this and as it is related to lampwork I've slotted it here.

I've just got round to making jewellery with some of the lampwork beads I've bought and one of the large focal beads in a set I bought has a crack right down it. When I recieve items in the post I have a look to see if they are okay and didn't spot this then (it does depend on the light to see it fully),  I then pack away my beads in a separate grip seal bag, inside an organza bag per lampwork supplier, these are then stored in a robust box lined with bubblewrap which I keep just for lampwork beads so they can't get knocked or damaged.

I have bought from some lampworkers who will guarantee their work against damage (not really sure how that works if someone drops it?) but I guess my question is, is it just tough luck if a bead cracks without any apparent dropping etc or should I expect my beads to be in one piece with the general safeguards I've taken. I don't want to offend anyone by sending it back if this in not uncommon and just one of those things that happen. Also if the way I'm storing them is cr*p then I'm happy for someone to tell me so I can improve how I keep them.

Thanks

 

[Kaz]

Hi Jill
If you didn't spot a problem when you received the beads, then it's unlikely that the beadmaker did either. Beads should not crack after they have been annealed but you cannot rule it out 100% as they get a rough ride during the cleaning process etc. If it has cracked in half, it will be a thermal stress problem and if it has crazed into pieces it will be a glass compatibility problem. Either way, the beadmaker will want to know about it as their reputation may be at risk. I am sure whoever's bead it is will sort it out for you and if it is one of mine, I definitely will!
Kazx

[sparrow]

Hi Jill, I won't speak for others, but if I were the bead maker, I'd want to know. There are some incompatibility issues with some glass - I stopped making my favourite style of bead when I discovered a stash of old ones had cracked - weeks after I had cleaned them. For most of us, it is simply not feasible to keep beads hanging around this long, and it *is* rare. I also think you can tell the difference between an incompatibility crack, and an 'oops I dropped it' crack. Again, if it were me, I would probably ask you to sent the bead back to me or to take a good photo - not because I'd doubt you, but because I'd want to see exactly what happened (and I'm rubbish at keeping track of who bought what!), to remind myself of what colours I used, and the type of crack, so I could make sure I understood, so it wouldn't happen again.

As for storing, you certainly seem to be storing your stash far better than I do.

Was it an encased bead, incidentally? They were the cracking bane of my life for a while.

Hope that helps, but see what others say too, of course

[dinah46]

I definitely agree with Sabine and Kaz and would want to know if it was one of mine

[Sarah]

I agree - there's a break out of consensus gong on here 

Sarah
xx

[Chameleon]

Im with everyone else, I would ideally want to have the bead back so I could see the glass etc as Sabine said and try and work out why it happened before I tried to recreate the bead for you as I'd be worried it would happen again if it was a potential compatibility issue.

[Pam]

I totally agreed with what has already been said. If it is only the one focal bead that has cracked in a set of similar beads then it may just be an annealing issue with the size of the bead and if I were the artist I would certainly offer to  make a similar bead taking extra care with the annealing.

[Jolene]

I would absolutely want the bead back to work out where it had gone wrong. I think I would refund but also replace the bead too.

[Dee]

I agree with everyone else, I wouldn't be offended at all and would always offer a refund and a replacement where possible.

[clasicat]

I agree with everyone else, I wouldn't be offended at all and would always offer a refund and a replacement where possible.

Me too

[garishglobes]

Couldn't agree more. From a maker's point of view, if there's a compatibility problem it would be good to know about it for the future, and cracks can appear some time after the bead was made, which is frustrating. Sabine's right, it isn't practical to keep beads for weeks before selling them, so knowing about the problem if it is there is useful.  

[saffie]

ditto 

[♥♥Tan♥♥]

Absolutely contact the beadmaker explaining the problem, of course accidents happen hence why you would need to take a pic, but in all honesty your storage sounds superb and it is highly unlikely that it had a knock

[Josephine]

I'd want to know too and would certainly refund/replace. It just happens sometimes days or weeks after the bead has been made. I made a large encased floral in the middle of last week and hadn't got round to listing it LUCKILY. It was fine yesterday but when I picked it up this afternoon to photograph there was a big crack running down it.

[Lush!]

Oh blimey yeah, you've got to tell!  I discovered a large bead that I had out on my table at a bead fair had developed a crack, I was gutted - and swiped it out of sight quick, to be closer examined later