7018 10 11: Cut and mechanically polished

These subheadings include:

1. the articles described in the HS Explanatory Note to heading 7018, second paragraph, (A);

2. similar articles known commercially as ‘glass beads’, consisting of glass beads of larger sizes (up to approximately the size of a walnut). These articles, mostly intended for the manufacture of necklaces and bracelets, are put up in very varied forms (for example, spheres, hemispheres, teardrops, dice, cylinders, small tubes, cones, polyhedrons) and are also pierced right through.

Small tubes are regarded as glass beads for the purposes of these subheadings if their external diameter and length do not exceed 4 mm and 24 mm respectively. They should not be confused with special standardised tubes of lead glass of the type used for the manufacture of incandescent lamps and tungsten lamps; tubes of this type are usually colourless and fall in heading 7002.

The articles falling in these subheadings are normally put up in bulk, in bags, in boxes, etc.

These subheadings also include glass beads of identical size and colour strung together without separating knots and without means of fastening, for convenience of transport and for packing purposes. Such strings are usually tied in bundles by the free ends of their threads and do not, therefore, constitute assemblies normally ready for use.

The following are excluded from these subheadings:

(a) strings of beads (whether or not tied in bundles) in which beads of different sizes or colour are arranged in a regular fashion (for example, by alternating the colours or sizes in a regular fashion or by stringing the beads in order of size) or in which the beads are separated by knots (heading 7117);

(b) strings of beads (even if containing only beads of identical size, colour or manufacture) which include fastenings or similar mechanisms or which are in short lengths suitable for wear as necklaces (heading 7117).

Cut and mechanically polished beads falling in this subheading are distinguished from ‘heat-polished’ beads of subheading 7018 10 19 by their perfectly smooth facets and sharp edges. Furthermore, the ends of the holes are often faceted (sometimes, also polished) and have sharp-cut edges corresponding to the adjacent facets, whereas the ends of the holes in ‘heat-polished’ beads are often rounded and do not meet the facets in a sharp edge.

It is mainly the articles referred to in the first paragraph, item 2, of the explanatory note to subheadings 7018 10 11 and 7018 10 19 which are most often cut and mechanically polished.