Standard highway beads are made from recycled glass and have a 1.5 – 1.6 refractive index. Because recycled glass is used, the spheres have a slightly lower level of clarity, but more than enough to light up road stripes. The beads have a white appearance when viewed in quantity, but are actually clear. Highway beads can run from $50 to $150 per 50 pound bag depending on quantity.

Airport beads are made from virgin glass which gives them more clarity. They are also more round than standard beads. These characteristics allow the bead to return more light to the source than standard beads. The refractive index for an airport bead is 1.9 versus the 1.5-1.6 for highway beads. Both pictures below are of airport beads. One is clear and the other has a golden coloration. There is little difference in reflectivity. Airport beads are about 4-5 times more expensive than highway beads.

In summary, standard highway beads and airport beads are similar and are applied the same way, by evenly distributing them over wet paint. Airport beads, however, are more round and made with virgin glass, so they are brighter.