Round beveled mirrors: The art of beveling

Round beveled mirrors have been around for a while now but the process was used with plain glass and other materials â€“ even wood â€“ long before it became widely used in the mirror manufacturing industry. Beveling is not a machining technique merely reserved for mirrors. Although they're used to best effect with mirrored surfaces, beveling is used in such diverse fields as graphic logo designing and jewelry-making. A bevel, used interchangeably with 'chamfer', is a method of shaping the outer edge of an object (in this case a mirror or window pane) so that edge angle is greater than 90 degrees. The width of the bevel can be a sharp 10 mm drop from the thickest point to the thinnest, or it can be a gentle 35 mm or more. The final effect of beveling is to give a slanted edge to the object. Round beveled mirrors are generally harder to make than straight-edged geometric shapes like squares and rectangles, and as a result are usually more expensive.

Round beveled mirrors for any use: Pricey but perfect

Because the beveling process adds cost to the mirror, you might have to pay more for this type rather than a normal edged round mirror; even at Amazon you won't find anything in the way of round beveled mirrors for less than $190 for a 30-inch size. However, for other uses you might be able to find them very cheap. If you'd like to use them as place settings for your dining table, you might be able to get them as cheap as $33 for a set of six mirrors. You may not be able to use them as regular reflective mirrors but they'll double the food at the table for sure!

An interior designer's two cents on round beveled mirrors

Round beveled mirrors can add that extra touch of elegance to any setting, no matter whether it's in the bathroom in place of a vanity or hung on a wall elsewhere in the home. The round shape along with the beveled edge sometimes gives the illusion that it's convex shaped, perfectly complementing the modern architectural disdain for straight lines. Because the edge lends style to the mirror's overall visual appeal, it is often left 'naked' rather than framed. This lets you get the full benefit of enjoying the workmanship that's been put into the piece. Framed round beveled mirrors are also popular but in general, you'll be able to see the beveling around the inner edges of the frame. Not only do the beveled edges lend a unique contrast to the regular right-angles of other mirrors and even pieces of furniture, but they're able to reflect light the way no other mirror can. The cut crystal-like effecting can be put to stunningly good use if the lighting is planned properly. A series of round beveled mirrors along a corridor with the right kind of spot or task lighting can brighten up the space in a very pleasing way.

I've been framed!

You can get a variety of framing hooks and brackets for round beveled mirrors. The standard ones are the hanging type and the double-side tape kind for the not-so-heavy models. However, there's also a unique framing option you can choose â€“ the floating frame. This type of frame creates a space between the wall and the mirror, which is perfect to accent the beveled edge. The best analogy would be to liken it to what your wall-mounted flat-screen TV looks like â€“ with much better programming! As with all types of mirrors, placement is critical to achieving the desired effect. If you want to optimize the reflective ability of round beveled mirrors, then the lighting must be planned around it, literally. Task lights or spots are generally good, but experiment by moving the lights and mirror around to see what final effect appeals to you.