I first fell in love with this type of bead in 1990 in a Portsmouth, N.H., glass gallery. I made a necklace for myself and my college roommate. That's all the beads I could afford.

When I see these beads in all of their glorious colors, I feel as if they beg to be worn. I've mixed them with antique Austrian crystals to give them sparkle and make the colors richer.