I was looking into purchasing some beads from Firemountain.com, and I was wondering if there was any way to tell if the beads on their web site are acrylic, or real if it does not specifically state acrylic?

Look at the "you are here" link at the top of the page. It will look something like this... You are here: Plastic Beads > Acrylic Beads > Pony Beads > H20-1677PB. I got that from just doing a search on pony. Hope that helps.

Fire Mountain is very specific as to their descriptions.  If it is acrylic it will say so in the description.....They also have codes as to whether or not it is natural or synthetic.  Also if you click on a picture, there is a spot to click on for more information about that product.  Fill out the form and customer service will get back to you within a couple of days or call the 800 number to find out right away.

Hope this helps!

One thing to watch out for with Fire Mountain (FMG) is when a stone or bead has a name in quotation marks. One of the recent ones to come to mind is "red malachite" which has made an appearance on eBay and is supported by FMG in their listings. There is no such thing as RED malachite and though FMG is reasonably "upfront" in the detailed description (the one you get when you click on the first listing) that "red malachite" is actually banded jasper, the listing you see first does not make that distinction. IMHO, it is somewhat misleading as many people don't "see" (notice) the quotation marks on such names, many of them don't click for a detailed description, and wind up perpetuating the false name.

I'd like to see listings look something like this: 6mm round Banded Jasper, sometimes known as "Red Malachite". That gets the real name upfront and the makey-uppy name included. But then again, "if wishes were horses, beggars would ride". <sigh>

 

 What exactly are you looking to buy I buy from them quite frequently. They are pretty good with giving you the details of what something is.

I agree with all the suggestions posted. I've ordered several items from FMG and they're very helpful. Just send them an email if you have some clarifications or questions about a certain product and they will gladly respond. You can also try browsing at their virtual catalogues. Or better yet request for a free catalogue. I live in the Philippines but they do send me free catalogues. Having the hardcopy enables me to look at their beads and other products even when I'm not online. I mark the page and code no. of items I like, then order them online .

In my post about "red malachite", I just realized that I might have been misunderstood. 

I did NOT mean to imply that FMG in any way deliberately misleads customers. I do think that they need to be more upfront with the real names of the stones, rather than perpetuating and (in a way) giving legitimacy to the misleading ones. I still maintain that most customers don't notice or "see" the quotation marks on listings for things like "red malachite". As I said in another thread, some of the problem in names of stones is the imported stones will have varying names - apparently because the stones come from different quarries.

In my pre-LBS owner days, I did buy items from FMG and never had a problem with customer service or receiving exactly what I ordered. Since becoming an LBS owner, I have had to contact FMG regarding some of their no longer stocked items (from an estate lot we purchased) and they were helpful with them as well.

Adding a note of silliness and pointing out the obvious - even acrylic beads are REAL beads, they just aren't "real" stone beads! <grin>

Keep on beadin' !

I agree with with DRWeller concerning the fancy marketing names given to stones and gems. Many buyers who are not familiar with the scientific name for the stone are lead to believe they are purchasing a Red Malachite. This isn't just with Fire Mountain Gems but all over the industry. Quartz gems are dyed and given fancy names,but its not their true color. At the gem and mineral shows, stones are also given fancy color names and you can go from one dealer to the next and it will be different. In fairness to the consumer, the label should read, "banded jasper." And I would suggest to buyers that you purchase a gem and mineral book - know what your buying before you buy. good luck!