CarpenterC 500pcs 8mm Gorgeous Natural Round Polished Rosewood Loose Beads for Jewelry Making DIY Handmade Crafts

I purchased the 500 pc. ebony beads in 8mm. They are definitely an ebony-type wood, as they do sink in water. ("Ebony" covers several kinds of wood that are generally dark, and can be either patterned or plain. They're all dense, have specific gravity near or greater than that of water, and take a fine polish.) These beads look like black glass. Close examination under pure white light (6400K) reveals a slight chocolate brown tint that, if anything, improves the richness of the black. The holes are well-finished. The polish is so good that I cleaned one bead with acetone to make sure it wasn't an artificial finish. I make malas for Buddhist meditation, and will definitely purchase from CarpenterC again. Very pleased.

The short version:1. Not sandalwood2. Not even green sandalwood3. NO FRAGRANCE4. Nicely made beads, but completely generic and no telling what they are made of.5. Want to know what you're actually buying? Refer to the 2nd and 3rd images of each listing.My images:beads in white container are the actual product receivedimage w/ 2 beads - what the product claims to be, aka authentic green sandalwoodstrings of beads - authentic sandalwoodYou see those beautiful creamy sandalwood beads with warm amber tones and gotta have em. It's listed under "green sandalwood" which is, of course, a different looking wood, but the big image front and center for the product, the first image, is not green sandalwood. "Oh, well, happens all the time," *clicks buy*.Ok, full stop. This seller IS NOT selling sandalwood beads as shown in the first image (it's a bait and switch). They are selling the beads in the SECOND and THIRD images.In case you were wondering, the beads are not authentic sandalwood (see my image #3 of authentic sandalwood) and they also are not authentic green sandalwood (image #2). Lastly, there is NO fragrance (the other reviewers must think cardboard is fragrant) and it's anyone's guess what the wood is. Cool, you've been informed.The disclaimer:Look, I knew I wasn't buying actual sandalwood and YOU SHOULD TOO. Why? Because it's expensive and we are here looking for a bargain, right? But these beads are ADVERTISED TO TRICK YOU. If you are not familiar with sandalwood, HA, they got you by claiming the beads are sandalwood and if you know better, then they still get you by tricking you into thinking you are getting a bead that looks similar enough to sandalwood to pass with a glance. The cherry on top is that in the end, you don't even get green sandalwood (image #2).Now, these are some nice beads and well-made. They have cool, dark browns with even darker striations, some honey-tones and greens. They send some elastic cord and a couple of small guru beads. Nice.Now you are armed with more accurate information and can make a decision about whether or not to buy! Happy shopping and crafting.

I love CarpenterC beads. They have always been a consistent quality. Round, real sandal wood. light scent. Perfect. I've used them many times for over a year now. See image one I labeled them green sandalwood in the corner.WARNING watch that you click on the seller CarpenterC. I rushed and did not notice I clicked on a default seller named Smart Seller Point. They sent beads, but they were NOT CarpenterC beads despite the label. First off they were a chocolate brown which is not even a color Carpenter C offers. Next the were oval and mis-shapened. This is image 2 and 3. The chocolate brown color photos.What's worse when you try to tell customer service they have a very hard time understanding they aren't the same because the label says CarpenterC even though they are something different.So again if you want the quality ones stay away from Smart Seller Point and select CarpenterC as the seller (they are also the manufacturer).

I've ordered these beads twice in the past. They were great, light colored and smelled very good. I REORDERED the same beads and when they came, they were darker...DEFINITELY NOT the same beads. This company isn't consistent and now I've wasted money and time. I have a huge event I'm preparing for and now am not sure if I can find the same bead in a reasonable amount of time. Very frustrating!!!

Great looking wooden beads for jewelry or any other crafts and delivered faster than promised with a extra lovely gift! Those beads are nicely made of actual wood with even finish. Excellent workmanship. I love the light, almost unique cedar scent they give off. It seems that these beads are more than 200pcs since they can make two 108 malas, besides there are two elastic cords in the pack, which is perfectly convenient when you just need some. Great product and service! Thoroughly recommended!

UPDATE: *I am increasing my review by one star because of the amazing customer service that this company has.*I am writing this in case there is another buyer out there who is new to beads. I don't have a lot of experience with beads, and I was surprised to find that these are pea-sized. Like, pretty much the size of a pea in a pod. When I was shopping and comparing sizes on my ruler, I imagined that an 8mm bead would be bigger. The texture and the look of them is nice. There are a few that have a significantly darker tone than the others. The holes are consistent but quite small for most of them, but about 15% have holes that need to be opened a bit with a sharp too. ( I use something like a compass). There is a length of brown elastic string included and most of them are able to slide on to the string without too much effort.

*UPDATE* Added a photo. DO NOT GET THESE BEADS WET! I made a bracelet for my friend and after ONE shower, her beads faded significantly!While these beads are very nice looking, there are too many that are not drilled completely and some that are only barely drilled on one side only, rendering them useless to me. I'm glad I am able to use some of them at least but will not purchase from this seller again.

delivery was prompt enough,but the beads were not as described - I may have to return them. The picture shows dark brown beads, but the beads that arrived (correctly labelled) are an ugly grey-green colour, not at all what I wanted.

Good size and nice to look at but I must have missed the part that said they smell like they've been soaking in perfume.Be aware if you have a sensitive nose haha,I think someone mentioned it wears off so I put them outside to air out for a while before they can come back in my house.

Très belles perles de racine de tuya qui sentent bon l’essence de cet arbre oriental.La qualité et la régularité des perles sont parfaite au regard du prix très raisonnable.Idéal pour créer collier, mala boudhiste, chapelet , bracelet d’homme...Contenu: 1 gros sachet de perles 8mm, un petit sachet de perles et pièces de finition de collier ou bracelet et un cordon brun élastique de 50cm.(voir photos jointes que j ai réalisé)