It's kinda hard to tell. All the pics I've seen of extant beads weren't very colourful at all (time and damage) they were also all pitted on the surface, and that sure wasn't the original condition.
Here's a nice assortment: http://www.nfobase.com/assets/images/viking_7.jpg
from this site: http://www.nfobase.com/html/viking_beads.html
The pictures for which are all lifted from here: http://www.arkeodok.com/
For colours, as far as my understanding goes, think crayons. You want nice, bold colours, generally solid is more common than transparent (or rather, their transparent was muddier than the stuff that is sold now, so I can't get the same kind of "transparent" as they had, ours is too pure). Common designs that I can do include stripes and spots. Beads in solid colours with dents are also good. You'll see lots of examples of beads with frighteningly complex designs. These are Millefiori imported from Italy and I do not have the tools to recreate these. So this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F15445.html) or this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F1945.html), for example, I cannot do. But a striped bead like this this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F15466.html), a spotted bead like this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F4063.html) or striped bead like this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F24361.html) is easy. And this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F19283.html) is the inspiration for the diagonal dented beads.
Does that inspire you at all?
Anyway, I'm off to the glass store to buy more glass!
Re: purple/mauve
Here's a nice assortment:
http://www.nfobase.com/assets/images/viking_7.jpg
from this site:
http://www.nfobase.com/html/viking_beads.html
The pictures for which are all lifted from here:
http://www.arkeodok.com/
For colours, as far as my understanding goes, think crayons. You want nice, bold colours, generally solid is more common than transparent (or rather, their transparent was muddier than the stuff that is sold now, so I can't get the same kind of "transparent" as they had, ours is too pure). Common designs that I can do include stripes and spots. Beads in solid colours with dents are also good. You'll see lots of examples of beads with frighteningly complex designs. These are Millefiori imported from Italy and I do not have the tools to recreate these. So this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F15445.html) or this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F1945.html), for example, I cannot do. But a striped bead like this this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F15466.html), a spotted bead like this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F4063.html) or striped bead like this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F24361.html) is easy. And this (http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20single%20beads/pages/F19283.html) is the inspiration for the diagonal dented beads.
Does that inspire you at all?
Anyway, I'm off to the glass store to buy more glass!