What is Shadesmar Glass Beads made Of?

[Dwmaster204]

Are the beads made of investiture or something else? 

[Karger he/him]

Quote

Aurimus

As the two Realms, the Cognitive and the Spiritual, are, well, fictional... Are they all comprised of Investiture, completely?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. No, completely? Well, here's the thing. Investiture, matter, and energy are all the same thing in the cosmere. So, just like energy and matter are the same thing here. So, yes, everything's made of Investiture, in the same way that everything's made of energy in our world. Does that make sense?

Aurimus

So, what about what spren are made of in the Cognitive Realm? Is that just Investiture?

Brandon Sanderson

So, yeah, I'll dig more into that. I'm gonna go with Investiture for now, but I could change that as I move along. What I'm kind of debating is, is there a separate Cognitive state, and I don't think so. So I'm gonna go with Investiture for now.

Aurimus

How about Connection?

Brandon Sanderson

Connection is, like, the equivalent of a quantum connection in our world, so it's more like a force than something comprised of something. The question is like, "What is gravity comprised of?" And then you start asking weird questions.

Oathbringer London signing (Nov. 28, 2017)

Investiture for now.  Brandon may change it latter.

[Themasterhunter]

Shadesmar beads are made out of a Physicalized form of investiture. In my opinion, its an envelope of sorts that let the bead manifest as a bead and not as the object it represents.

[Wind he/him]

The beads are made of investiture with the souls of objects infusing them in the same way stormlight would infuse a normal sphere(I think).