they are a very hard plastic type of bead, these were my moms and she had a box full of jewelry from the 40's to the 70's and they just aren't long enough for me to wear so I am clearing out jewelry boxes...these still shine like they were brand new. she had a necklace and earrings, shoes, belts and sometimes a bracelet to match every outfit she wore. If they have survived this long and still look new I can only imagine how long it will take for them to dull....thanks for looking :-)