Well - it seems sorta weird to be talking about Effetre Clear - but here goes.
I recently acquired 2 packages of Effetre Clear - one is the 004 Regular Clear, and the other is 006 Super Clear. These particular bundles were handpicked at the factory - from a new batch - and air freighted here - so they have the advantage of not having spent 3 months tossing around in a container - getting all scratched up.
They actually arrived with their Italian labels still intact - the Regular labeled
591004 05 No Ordine 8000338
Cristallo 5-6
Made in Italy
and the Super Clear labeled
591006 05 No Ordine 8000248
Cristallo Speciale 5-6
Made in Italy.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUHZOqScAdmYhYyxOmEwP9BaUQ4tF66tXspgXNebTkQ9zjfLJ1wlHegnU5QGrMEJClUjnzYW68LL9DsVwRGXo_JV3Oew3VjA5Kv_XOp92iMjtoc2lvEfiQqv5HxTiR4iIwMsKRA/s320/IMG_3852.JPG)
Sighting along the glass - they are both very nice and clear and not showing aqua or green but a nice, brilliant clear. Perhaps a tinge to the yellow - but very nice.
I started by cleaning both types with alcohol for maximum cleanness.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbqcT-WkkWDCxcgrSKkInOlaYKP4aS5DyHPE116FXfOuMYo50qkCNRvdJep5jKizKgcxH5y80c5jlrpcLefRiFJtLmyE0koBYEgXOkzjujGY9Z2DblGzrJI-e3F2ORCKakom0yQ/s320/IMG_3857.JPG)
These first two are the Super Clear. The top bead was made using the "build up" method - and the bottom one was made using the "full gather" method. I tried both, as someone once opined to me that the full gather tended to trap more scum.
Here they are again, in the same order, on the right - w a black background to show more contrast.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfUwzcCBXHSfmXlHzzCq1ERQvBhHoQ-jiLzC84TCd943-w7E9UKYakq73LlFqZwRIFvzSlTjafkv9RnW7y72dzK8solKzaqdPiZdoKMRxxfNNSVo3eKvVouoL0G3ckM_88ZrmAQ/s320/IMG_3866.JPG)
And here we have the regular clear. The wound beads are on the top, and the full gather is on the bottom.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEUg4jjtdS8wOtE1gC7sdJaq8CBKJc0sKXNmYqsly5MaJTpfKh-vKozgMdyKs5OdS4bI0JKtKIRuDg71rmBCjTv9_KIFYBZtE8Yfr3L5KF_bUXN7fxVERr-mAvJWsR5so5pIVbg/s320/IMG_3862.JPG)
On the grey background - they look the same, but on the black, you can see that the regular clear - does, in fact - have more of the tiny little bubbles we call scum.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEoXvdGI7IAdghH_QcXurOmWdMZkryF6vomCCDiYV9Bys0WS-wFOarvZ2RmHmt55nPuP7-Qpeu6qz0auO8AC3UYWizhCDS3cVytXDGzhx6ad96OIbxF8PT7mh6lcM2UiHC0t_yg/s320/IMG_3884.JPG)
But where does the clarity of the clear really count? Why, in encasing of course. So here are two encased florals. The top, egg-shape, is the Super Clear, and the bottom bicone is the regular clear.
As you can see - florals are obviously not my particular speciality!
However - these both came out pretty nice! The larger airbubbles are me - and not part of the glass.
Both these clears are really pretty good - although, for the minor price difference - I'll be taking the super clear.
Why bother with Effetre clear - in the light of the other, lovely clears on the market? Well - when push comes to shove - it flows more freely and you can encase faster with it, short of getting a thicker rod. Sometimes - that's just really useful. And for beads like these florals - which aren't exactly works of art - everybody makes this flower! - it's good enough.
BTW - I kind of like the clear spacers. I wonder how a strand of those would look?
Didn't I pan a batch of Effetre Super Clear recently? Yes - I think I did. These are from a new batch, obviously. If only hand-picking at the factory were an easier option!