The rotation could be achieved by hand or, in some cases, using a bow-drill mechanism that converted a back-and-forth motion into rotation.

The specific borer is consumed in the process — the repeated contact with the hard material of the bead wears the tip of the stone borer down, eventually making it ineffective.

Producing a large number of beads, therefore, requires not just the beads but a supply of usable borers — either a collection of pre-made borers, or the ability to produce new ones as needed during the bead-making process.

The production of more than 120 beads for a single burial represents a sustained industrial effort.