Seed Beads: An Overview of Types, Cuts, and Finishes

Color Riot Bracelet: Loom Work

Seed beads are one of the most versatile and commonly used beads in jewelry making today. They come in hundreds of colors, numerous finishes, various cuts, and a wide range of sizes. With all the choices available in the "seed bead" category, it can be a little confusing to understand what some of the commonly used terms mean and how one seed bead varies from another. We have put together this blog to help you understand the wide and wonderful world of seed beads.

 Sizes:
All seed beads are classified by aught size and assigned a number between 1/0 and 24/0. The higher the number, the smaller the bead. For instance, a 15/0 seed bead is considerably smaller then a 6/0 seed bead. We have a handy seed beads size chart for seed beads on the Beadaholique website which breaks down the bead size in millimeters as well as how many beads per inch you will be able to string for each size.

Fern Hill Necklace: Seed Bead Fronds

The most common seed bead sizes for jewelry design range from 6/0 to 15/0. It is very hard to find seed beads smaller then 15/0 and they will almost always be vintage or antique as they are not commonly produced nowadays. An important note is that an 11/0 Toho round bead will not be the same size as an 11/0 Miyuki Delica (the Delica is slightly smaller). You will find this true with other manufacturers as well. It is always important to keep this fact in mind when selecting beads, especially if you are following a beading pattern that calls for a particular type of bead.

Seed Bead Manufacturers:
 
Miyuki Japanese beads are considered a "world standard" for their high quality, brilliance, and uniform shape. They are highly sought after by fashion designers, beadwork artists and crafters. The Delica bead is one of Miyuki's most recognizable beads with it's uniform sleek cylindric shape. They have nice large holes compared to the overall size of the bead and sharp cut edges near the hole which results in them laying extremely flat and even when used in weaving patterns. These beads are particularly well suited for peyote stitch bead weaving and loom work.  

Toho beads are among the most popular seed beads used in jewelry making today because of their uniformity of size and shape. Machine manufactured in Japan, sparkling Toho glass beads feature a larger hole than those found in most beads of similar size. This may allow for multiple-pass stringing, and more creative options in your bead work. Toho not only offers the rounded seed bead but other shapes and styles as well, all in a multitude of colors and finishes.  

Jablonex Czech Glass seed beads are also machine made but not to as exacting standards as that of their Japanese counterparts. They too have nice large holes and their less mechanized manufacturing allows them to retain an old world Bohemian feel. Czech Glass beads can add a vintage look to a design and are available in lush color mixes as well as a wide range of single colors. These beads are usually sold by the hank or half hank, meaning they come pre-strung on several temporary strands versus in a tube.  

There are of course other manufacturers of seed beads on the market, but the above 3 are extremely popular, and all are available on Beadaholique.com

Seed Bead Shapes and Cuts: 

 


Round: As the name suggest, these beads are round, usually slightly wider then they are tall, and have soft rounded edges near the hole 

Delicas: This is a term assigned to a particular type of Miyuki bead which is cylindric in shape with sharp cut edges.   

Cylinder: As mentioned above, a Delica is a cylinder bead but there are other ones on the market as well. This bead shape is growing in popularity because of how the beads lock together seamlessly in bead weaving and loom work.  


 


Charlotte: These beads have a facet cut on one edge to catch the light. Most commonly found in size 13/0, these are also sometimes referred to as "single-cut" or "one-cut" beads. 

 Tri-Cut: Like the name suggests, these beads have 3 facet cuts per bead which creates an interesting irregular textural look to their surface, giving them an almost nugget like appearance. The facets catch and reflect the light, adding to their sparkle. They can also be referred to as "3-cut" beads. 

 

  

Hex: Six sides give hex-cut beads texture and sparkle despite their usually tiny size. 





Seed Bead Finishes:

Color lined - a color, different from the bead itself, has been applied to the inside of the bead. This is most apparent when applied to transparent beads  

Silver Lined, Gold Lined, Bronze Lined - A metallic color has been applied to the inside of the bead and this color then shines through the glass of the bead

 



Transparent/Translucent: the glass of the bead is see through. It might be tinted with a color, but it is still see-through 
 



Opaque: solid color, light is not able to penetrate through the bead 


 



Matte: as the name implies, these beads are not shiny and some people refer to matte as frost
 




Luster: transparent pearly sheen 

 


AB or Aurora Borealis: A multi-color rainbow affect has been applied to part or all of the beads surface. Some people refer to this finish as Rainbow  
 
  



Iris: very similar to AB but the colors used in this finish are found very close to the bead's main color on a color wheel 

Metallic: the beads appear to have a "metal" like quality to them, usually very shiny


 

Galvanized: colorful metallic coating





In The Seed Bead Family: 

Bugle Beads: Bugle beads are made by a variety of manufacturers and can vary in length. What defines them is that they are always longer then they are wide. Bugle Beads coming soon to Beadaholique! See a few of them in the photo on the left.

Preciosa Twin Beads: Twin beads, like the name suggests, have two holes per bead. They have a rounded oval shape to them and work well when mixed with other seed beads in patterns that would be impossible without the dual holes.  

Miyuki Cube Beads: Precision-cut Miyuki 4mm cubes actually have the following range of measurements: 3.8-4mm long, 3.4mm wide. Find a large assortment of colors as well as designer-customized mixes. Beads come in opaque, frost, silver-lined, AB, matte, and ghost finishes. 

Miyuki Tila Square 2-Hole Beads: The beautiful Miyuki Tila two-hole square beads are perfect squares built for uniformity and consistency. The large hole makes them ideal for consistent bead weaving textures and multiple passes of fine beading thread such as Fireline, Power Pro, KO Thread and Nymo. These are ideal for square stitches. 

 



Miyuki Berry Beads: Miyuki Berry Beads resemble tiny peanuts which can be stacked upon each other to create beautifully brilliant pieces! 
 

 Miyuki Long Magatama Beads: Miyuki long Magatama seed beads have a long petal shape. The angled hole creates amazing variations in shape when strung. 





Believe it or not, there are even more types of seed beads and related beads then the ones listed here. The world of seed beads is vast and ever-growing. Hopefully this blog has helped you to understand a bit better the basics of seed beads and perhaps has even sparked your creativity a little!

Happy Beading, 
Julie