What are Jewelry Beads?

Jewelry beads are decorative elements with holes for stringing, available in countless materials, shapes, sizes, and finishes. They serve as the primary building blocks for necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other beaded jewelry. Understanding bead properties, sizing systems, and compatibility with stringing materials is essential for creating durable, beautiful jewelry.

The art of beadwork spans cultures and centuries, with modern jewelry makers having access to both traditional materials like glass and stone, as well as innovative synthetic options that offer unique properties and design possibilities.

Bead Size Classifications

Standard Bead Sizing System

Size Designation Diameter (mm) Diameter (inches) Typical Uses Hole Size Range
15/0 (15°) 1.5mm 1/16” Seed bead embroidery 0.3-0.5mm
11/0 (11°) 2.0mm 5/64” Detailed beadwork 0.4-0.6mm
8/0 (8°) 3.0mm 1/8” General beadwork 0.6-0.8mm
6/0 (6°) 4.0mm 5/32” Larger beadwork 0.8-1.0mm
4mm Round 4.0mm 5/32” Delicate jewelry 0.7-1.0mm
6mm Round 6.0mm 1/4” Standard jewelry 1.0-1.5mm
8mm Round 8.0mm 5/16” Medium jewelry 1.0-2.0mm
10mm Round 10.0mm 3/8” Statement pieces 1.5-2.5mm
12mm Round 12.0mm 1/2” Focal beads 1.5-3.0mm
14mm+ Round 14mm+ 9/16”+ Large focal beads 2.0-4.0mm

Bead Shape Categories

Shape Category Examples Drilling Direction Design Effect Price Factor
Round Perfect sphere Center drilled Classic, versatile Standard
Oval Elongated sphere Length-wise Elegant flow +10-20%
Bicone Double cone Point to point Sparkle, movement +20-30%
Chip/Nugget Irregular natural Variable Organic, casual -20-30%
Cube Square/rectangular Corner to corner Modern, geometric +15-25%
Tube/Cylinder Elongated round Length-wise Linear spacing Standard
Disc/Coin Flat round Through thickness Layered effect +10-20%
Drop/Teardrop Pear shaped Top drilled Elegant dangle +25-40%

Bead Materials

Natural Stone Beads

Stone Type Hardness (Mohs) Durability Colour Range Price Range Special Properties
Quartz 7 Excellent Clear to varied $$ Piezoelectric
Amethyst 7 Excellent Purple spectrum $$$ February birthstone
Agate 6.5-7 Excellent Banded patterns $$ Protective qualities
Jasper 6.5-7 Excellent Earth tones $$ Grounding stone
Turquoise 5-6 Good Blue-green \(\) Sacred stone
Lapis Lazuli 5-6 Good Deep blue/gold \(\) Wisdom stone
Jade 6-7 Excellent Green spectrum \(\)$ Good fortune
Onyx 7 Excellent Black/banded $$$ Protection stone
Carnelian 7 Excellent Orange-red $$$ Courage stone
Hematite 5-6 Good Metallic gray $$ Magnetic varieties

Glass Bead Types

Glass Type Manufacturing Durability Optical Properties Price Range Best Uses
Pressed Glass Molded Good Clear/translucent $ Mass production
Lampwork Hand formed Excellent Artistic patterns \(\) Art jewelry
Czech Glass Pressed/cut Excellent High clarity $$$ Fine jewelry
Venetian Traditional craft Excellent Unique patterns \(\)$ Collector pieces
Dichroic Vacuum coated Excellent Colour-changing \(\) Modern designs
Millefiori Cane technique Good Complex patterns $$$ Decorative accents
Fire Polish Flame finished Excellent High shine $$ Professional work
Cathedral Translucent Good Light transmission $$ Layered effects

Metal Beads

Metal Type Composition Tarnish Resistance Weight Price Range Hypoallergenic
Sterling Silver 92.5% silver Low Heavy \(\) Good
Silver Plated Base + silver layer Very Low Medium $$ Poor
Gold Filled 1/20 gold content High Heavy \(\)$ Excellent
Gold Plated Base + gold layer Low Medium $$$ Fair
Stainless Steel Steel alloy Excellent Heavy $$ Excellent
Titanium Pure titanium Excellent Light \(\) Excellent
Copper Pure copper Very Low Heavy $ Poor
Brass Copper/zinc alloy Low Medium $ Poor
Pewter Tin alloy Medium Heavy $$ Good

Synthetic/Acrylic Beads

Material Type Properties Weight Durability Colour Options Price
Acrylic Lightweight, clear Very Light Good Unlimited $
Resin Dense, moldable Light Excellent Unlimited $$
Lucite Vintage plastic Light Good Limited $$$
Polymer Clay Hand crafted Light Good Unlimited $$$
Silicone Flexible, soft Light Excellent Good range $$
Wood Composite Pressed fibers Light Fair Limited $

Organic Beads

Material Source Sustainability Durability Natural Variations Price Range
Wood Various trees High Good High $
Bone Animal sources Medium Good Medium $$
Horn Buffalo/cattle Medium Excellent High $$$
Shell Ocean/freshwater Medium Good High $$
Pearl Oyster/mussel Low Good Very High \(\)$
Coral Ocean (vintage only) Very Low Fair Medium \(\)
Amber Fossilized resin Very Low Fair Very High \(\)$
Seeds/Nuts Plant sources High Fair High $

Stringing Materials

Beading Wire Specifications

Wire Type Strand Count Diameter Flexibility Strength (lbs) Best For
7-Strand 7 .010”-.024” Stiff 10-40 Straight designs
19-Strand 19 .010”-.024” Medium 15-45 General purpose
49-Strand 49 .010”-.024” Flexible 20-50 Curved designs
144-Strand 144 .012”-.024” Very Flexible 25-55 Draped designs

Beading Wire Diameter Guide

Diameter Common Uses Bead Hole Size Crimp Size Drape Quality
.010” Seed beads, delicate work 0.5-1.0mm #1 Excellent
.012” Small beads, light jewelry 0.7-1.2mm #1-2 Excellent
.015” Medium beads, standard work 1.0-1.5mm #2 Good
.018” Large beads, heavy jewelry 1.2-2.0mm #2-3 Fair
.021” Very large beads 1.5-2.5mm #3 Poor
.024” Focal beads, short pieces 2.0-3.0mm #3-4 Poor

Cord and Thread Materials

Material Type Diameter Range Stretch Durability Water Resistance Best Applications
Silk Thread 0.2-1.0mm Minimal Good Poor Pearl stringing
Nylon Thread 0.1-0.8mm Some Excellent Good General beadwork
Polyester Thread 0.2-1.0mm Minimal Excellent Excellent Outdoor jewelry
Cotton Cord 0.5-3.0mm Minimal Fair Poor Casual jewelry
Hemp Cord 0.5-2.0mm Minimal Good Fair Natural/bohemian
Leather Cord 1.0-5.0mm Minimal Good Fair Rustic designs
Waxed Cotton 0.5-2.0mm Minimal Good Good Macrame, knotting
Elastic Cord 0.5-2.0mm High Fair Good Stretch bracelets

Specialty Stringing Materials

Material Properties Diameter Uses Skill Level Cost
Memory Wire Spring steel 0.5-1.2mm Coil bracelets/necklaces Beginner $$
Tiger Tail Nylon coated wire 0.3-0.8mm Vintage technique Intermediate $
Fireline Braided fishing line 0.1-0.3mm Seed bead work Advanced $$
C-Lon Thread Nylon beading thread 0.1-0.5mm Bead weaving Intermediate $$
PowerPro Braided fishing line 0.1-0.4mm Heavy beadwork Advanced $$
Wildfire Thermal bonded thread 0.1-0.3mm Precision work Advanced $$$

Beading Tools

Essential Hand Tools

Tool Type Primary Function Size Range Price Range Skill Level
Beading Needles Threading small holes Size 10-15 $5-15 Beginner
Scissors Cutting thread/cord 3-4” craft scissors $8-25 Beginner
Bead Reamer Enlarging holes 0.5-3mm $10-30 Intermediate
Crimping Pliers Securing crimp beads Standard size $15-50 Beginner
Wire Cutters Cutting beading wire Flush cut $12-40 Beginner
Pliers Set General manipulation 4-6” length $25-75 Beginner

Specialized Beading Tools

Tool Specific Use Size/Type Price Range Necessity Level
Bead Board Design layout 13”x9.5” standard $10-30 High
Bead Spinner Loading seed beads 4-6” diameter $15-40 Medium
Knotting Tool Pearl knotting Awl type $8-20 Medium
Bead Stopper Temporary securing Spring-loaded $3-8 High
Thread Heaven Thread conditioner 1 oz container $4-8 Medium
Bead Scoop Bead handling Various sizes $5-15 Medium
Task Light Illumination LED, adjustable $20-80 High

Measuring and Layout Tools

Tool Measurement Type Accuracy Price Range Professional Use
Ruler (Metric/Imperial) Length measurement ±1mm $2-10 Essential
Calipers Precise diameter ±0.1mm $10-50 Professional
Bead Gauge Hole size checking Standard holes $5-15 Useful
Design Board Layout planning Grooved channels $10-30 Essential
Measuring Tape Body measurements ±1mm $3-10 Essential

Storage and Organization

Storage Type Capacity Organization Level Price Range Portability
Bead Organizer 4-64 compartments High $10-50 Good
Tackle Box Multiple trays Medium $15-40 Excellent
Storage Tubes Single bead type Low $1-3 each Excellent
Bead Storage Cabinet Large collection Very High $100-500 Poor
Portable Case Travel kit Medium $20-80 Excellent

Thread Compatibility

Thread-to-Needle Size Chart

Thread Type Thread Size Needle Size Bead Hole Min Pass-Through Count
Silk Size A-F 10-13 0.3mm 2-4 times
Nylon Size A-D 10-12 0.4mm 3-5 times
Polyester Size A-F 10-13 0.4mm 2-4 times
Fireline 4-8 lb test 11-13 0.3mm 4-6 times
C-Lon Size AA-D 10-12 0.4mm 3-5 times

Knot Strength Ratings

Knot Type Holding Strength Difficulty Best Thread Type Bulk Factor
Overhand Low Very Easy Any Low
Square Knot Medium Easy Cord Medium
Surgeon’s Knot High Medium Thread Medium
Double Knot Medium-High Easy Thread High
Lark’s Head Medium Easy Cord Low

Bead Compatibility

Hole Size to Wire Compatibility

Bead Hole Size Compatible Wire Thread Options Needle Size Multiple Passes
0.5-0.7mm .010” beading wire Size A thread 12-13 2-3
0.8-1.0mm .010”-.012” wire Size A-B thread 11-12 3-4
1.0-1.5mm .012”-.015” wire Size B-C thread 10-11 4-5
1.5-2.0mm .015”-.018” wire Size C-D thread 10 5-6
2.0mm+ .018”+ wire Size D+ thread 10 6+

Bead Weight Considerations

Bead Size Approximate Weight Wire Strength Needed Recommended Support Design Limitations
4mm 0.1-0.5g 5-10 lbs Standard None
6mm 0.2-1.0g 10-15 lbs Standard None
8mm 0.5-2.0g 15-20 lbs Medium Consider spacing
10mm 1.0-4.0g 20-25 lbs Strong Limit quantity
12mm+ 2.0-8.0g 25-35 lbs Very Strong Use as focal

Colour and Finish Classifications

Common Bead Finishes

Finish Type Appearance Durability Light Reflection Price Impact
Matte Non-reflective Good Low Standard
Glossy Shiny surface Excellent High Standard
Metallic Metal coating Variable Very High +50-100%
AB (Aurora Borealis) Rainbow coating Good Prismatic +100-200%
Satin Soft sheen Good Medium +25-50%
Transparent See-through Depends on base Variable Standard
Opaque Solid colour Excellent Medium Standard
Translucent Semi-transparent Good Medium-High +10-25%

Colour Stability Ratings

Material Type UV Resistance Heat Resistance Chemical Resistance Fade Rating
Glass Excellent Excellent Excellent No fade
Natural Stone Good Excellent Good Minimal fade
Metal Excellent Good Variable Tarnish only
Acrylic Fair Poor Fair Moderate fade
Wood Poor Fair Poor Significant fade
Dyed Materials Poor Poor Poor High fade

Quality Grading

Bead Quality Classifications

Grade Consistency Surface Quality Hole Quality Price Premium
Economy ±2mm variance Some flaws Rough holes Base price
Standard ±1mm variance Minor flaws Clean holes +25%
Premium ±0.5mm variance Excellent surface Perfect holes +50%
Collector ±0.2mm variance Flawless Hand-finished +100%+

Manufacturing Defect Types

Defect Type Impact on Use Acceptability Price Reduction Return Policy
Size Variation Design spacing Usually OK 0-10% Rare return
Colour Variation Pattern matching Context dependent 5-20% Sometimes
Surface Chips Appearance Usually not OK 20-50% Usually returnable
Drilling Issues Stringing problems Not acceptable 50-100% Always returnable
Shape Distortion Design integrity Context dependent 10-30% Sometimes

Safety Considerations

Material Safety

Material Health Concerns Skin Sensitivity Child Safety Precautions
Lead Glass Heavy metal Low Dangerous Avoid vintage beads
Natural Stone Dust when drilling Variable Generally safe Wet drilling
Metal Alloys Nickel allergies High Generally safe Check composition
Synthetic Materials Chemical sensitivity Low Safe Ventilation when heating

Tool Safety

Tool Type Injury Risk Safety Equipment Proper Technique Age Restriction
Wire Cutters Cuts, eye injury Safety glasses Cut away from body 12+ with supervision
Needles Puncture wounds Good lighting Store safely 8+ with supervision
Pliers Pinched fingers None needed Controlled pressure 10+ with supervision
Reaming Tools Cuts, dust Glasses, mask Slow, steady pressure 14+ with supervision

This comprehensive guide provides the technical knowledge needed for successful bead selection and stringing. Understanding these specifications ensures proper material compatibility, durability, and professional results in all beadwork projects.

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