|  Seed Bead SizesThis shows the diameter of the most common seed beads. |  Seed Bead FinishesOpaque beads transmit no light. They come in shiny and matt finishes.
Transparent beads transmit light. These beads also come in matt finishes which are often referred to as frosted.
Iridescent, Rainbow or AB is a finish that is applied to both transparent and opaque beads while the bead is hot. This creates a rainbow effect on the surface of the bead. With some of the matt beads a raku, or fired, look is created.
Ceylon is a transparent beads with a lustre finish.
Lustre is a shiny finish on the surface of an opaque bead. The lustre can be coloured or white.
Gold Lustered beads are transparent beads that have a gold lustre finish creating a subtle gold highlight to the bead.
Matt beads have a frosted surface with very rich, deep colors. Toho's matts and metallics are by far the most beautiful on the market.
Dyed beads are transparent beads that have been painted and baked. Strong UV light may cause fading over time.
Inside-Colour beads are transparent beads that have had an opaque colour applied to the inside of the bead.
Galvanized beads are plated with zinc. The coating may wear due to friction or acidity in the hands. The beads may be coated with an acrylic spray to stabilize the finish. They also come in a matt finish.Toho has developed a new finish for the galvanized beads which will provide 95% durability. Three colours in size 11 are now available with this finish, more will be available later in 2008.
Metallic beads have been heated and then sprayed with oxidized tin. The thicker the coating, the,darker the finish.
Higher Metallic beads are surface coated with gold and then sprayed with oxidized titanium. The gold provides a brighter finish to these beads.
Silver-Lined beads are transparent beads that have been lined with silver. These beads have a wonderful sparkle to them. Silverlined beads also come in a matt finish that creates a frosted look.
Gilt-Lined beads are transparent beads that have been lined with gold and have an opal finish. The coating may wear due to friction or acid in the hands.
Bronze beads are coated with gold mixed with other materials and then baked on.
Nickel Plated are nickel-plated!
With thanks to Tambrook Beads for the use of this photo
| Bead Quality - is there a difference?Japanese first quality beads are very uniform with a high consistent standard. They can be used for all beadweaving stitches.
We only stock Japanese first quality beads and have a preference for those made by Toho because of the beautiful metallic and matt beads they produce. Toho have larger holes in their beads than the other manufacturers, which makes it easy to get several threads through the bead. The beads are very consistent with very little dye lot change.
We also stock beads made by Miyuki, mostly as mixes. These are of a very high quality.
The other Japanese manufacturer is Matsuno. Their beads are slightly more cylindrical than the other Japanese beads and can vary in external diameter depending on the finish. We don't stock these beads.
Czech seed beads are more uniform than Indian ones but are variable in shape. They are more rounded than the Japanese beads. They can be used in most beadwork and can give an interesting texture but there will be odd shaped waste beads. The beads come in fewer colours than Japanese beads.
Indian seed beads are the most variable in size and shape. They are mostly used in embroidery where the uneveness doesn't show.
| Cylinder BeadsCylinder beads are small thin walled beads with straight sides and large holes. They can be used in any beadweaving especially when a smooth, even surface is required.
The four branded cylinder beads are:
* Delica the brand of the Japanese manufacturer Miyuki.
* Treasure the brand of the Japanese manufacturer Toho.
* Magnifica the brand of the American supplier Mill Hill. The beads are manufactured by Toho.
* Aiko, a new cylinder bead manufactured by Toho. Aiko beads are almost perfect with only about 1 bead in 100,000 being considered defective. They are a lot more expesive than the other cylinder beads because of this and because only about 3 kg are produced a day compared to 500 to 1,000 kg of other seed beads.
The brand names, particularly Delica, are often used as the generic terms for cylinder beads. Make sure when you buy cylinder beads under a brand name that the manufacturer (or supplier in the case of Mill Hill) is stated.
| Craft WireThe approximate equivalent diameter of Artistic Wire is:
| Gauge | Diameter in mm | Examples of usage | | 18 | 1.02 | Clasps and ear findings | | 20 | 0.81 | Clasps, ear findings, wire wrapping and jumprings | | 22 | 0.64 | Ear findings and wire wrapping | | 24 | 0.51 | French beaded flowers and wire wrapping | | 26 | 0.4 | French beaded flowers, knitting and crochet | | 28 | 0.32 | Knitting, crochet and beaded animals | | 30 | 0.25 | Knitting and crochet |
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