Beads are often used in decorative applications—most commonly jewelry and home decor. There are many types of beads, all of which differ according to:
- Material
- Size
- Shape
Table of Contents
Bead Materials
A bead’s material affects its color, shape, texture, weight, durability, and cost. The most popular bead materials are:
Semiprecious Stones
Semiprecious stones, such as agate, amethyst, onyx, turquoise, and many others, are widely available as beads. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and lend beaded jewelry a touch of sophistication. These beads are often expensive compared to other beads. To make sure you’re buying real semiprecious beads and not glass or plastic imitations, look for heavy beads that feel cool to the touch and are not completely uniform in color.
Crystals
Crystal beads are often used instead of gemstones as a somewhat less expensive means of creating a sparkly, colorful effect. They’re usually manufactured and cut by machines as opposed to people, giving each bead a consistent appearance. Austrian crystals such as Swarovski® have the highest quality. Czech crystals are available in an array of sizes, shapes, and finishes and are often less expensive than their Austrian counterparts.
Glass
Glass beads are common manmade beads that come in endless varieties. The two most common kinds of glass beads are lampwork and seed beads.
- Lampwork Beads These beads are handmade by artisans who wrap melted colored glass around a rod of cool glass, then heat it in a kiln to finish. Lampwork beads feature swirled, raised designs and are available in many colors and textures.
- Seed Beads The most common type of bead, most seed beads are made in either the Czech Republic or Japan. They’re affordable, versatile, and suitable for any number of projects. Seed beads come in thousands of colors and shapes, including:
Natural Materials
Numerous natural materials are used to make beads. Five of the most popular—listed roughly in order from most to least expensive—are:
- Pearl: Ranges dramatically in color from white to pink to gold to black and can be round or irregular
- Amber: Can be anywhere from yellow to deep brown and translucent to opaque and is very lightweight
- Coral: Can be red, pink, black, or other colors
- Shell: Available as full shells and as parts of shells
- Wood: Comes in many colors and can also be intricately carved; works best with thicker stringing materials such as leather or hemp
Clay
Also known as ceramic beads, clay beads come shaped and colored to look like nearly anything, from abstract designs to pieces of fruit. Clay beads can be made from natural clay, manmade polymer clay, or metal clay.
Metal
Metal beads come in many shapes, weights, and costs. They can be made of gold, silver, copper, or pewter and are available pure or plated. Bali style metal beads feature intricate surface detail. Metal beads are also used as spacers, separating larger beads and protecting those beads from rubbing against one another.
Plastic Beads
Plastic beads are inexpensive and come in virtually any shape or color. Some look similar to beads made from more expensive materials.
Bead Size
Beads are typically measured according to their diameter or by how many beads fit on an inch of string.
Bead Size by Diameter
Bead diameter measurements are usually given in millimeters (mm) and can range from as small as 3 mm to larger than 30 mm. Diameter measurements are important if you want to make sure you’re using beads of the same size or if you want to use beads of different sizes on purpose.
Beads Per Inch
Seed beads are sized either by millimeter or by how many strung beads will fit on an inch of string. Measurements per inch are written as X°, with X being the number of beads that fit on each inch of string. The higher the number, the smaller the bead. The smaller the bead, the more beads fit on an inch of string. For example:
- A bead size of 8° signifies 8 beads per inch.
- A bead size of 11° signifies 11 beads per inch.
The most common sizes of seed beads are 11°, 8°, and 6°. You can use the beads-per-inch measurement to figure out how many beads you need for a project. For instance, if you’re working with 6° beads and are stringing a 15″ necklace, you need 90 beads.
Bead Hole Size
Most beads are sold without any indication of their hole size. If this is the case, be sure to note whether the holes that run through the beads you’re buying are large enough to accommodate the stringing material you plan to use (and remember that for some projects, the stringing material may have to pass through the bead more than once).
