I like using photo floods. Yes they are hot, but I only need to turn the bulb on for a moment to take the shot.
In one of my posts above, you can see my Eiko bulb, metal hood and one corner of my PVC pipe and connector photo tent. I made a cube frame with PVC and I cover it with an old white cotton bed sheet, leaving one side open at the front for the camera and tripod. I use just one photo flood bulb directly above the tent, about 8 inches above the beads. It shines through the bed sheet to make a diffuse light. I have several white card reflectors inside the tent. It's a fairly easy and inexpensive set up.
Here is a photo I took recently with the photo flood:
I'm pretty happy with the depth in the beads, lack of hot spots, and the soft shadows. You can see the mother-of-pearl luster or iridescence in the encased silver glass that Hayley said she was missing in her photos with the new light box (from Hayley's blog post,
http://envisionsf.blogspot.com/2013/...ic-set-up.html )