Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c22.s2.8

v1.c22.s2.8

Glazed quartz beads, found even in the Bhir Mound became more popular during the first century AD Śaka-Pārthian period. The process of glazing consisted in heating the bead with soda until the quartz fused and flowed as a glaze over the surface. Spectroscopic examination made by Beck showed that the surface of the beads, thus treated, contained a large quantity of soda, though the interior was free from it. Some reagent must have been used to provide pale blue colour to the beads. Natural quartz is more beautiful when polished than when glazed; therefore, the only purpose of glazing was to provide colour on the molten surface.