Types of Beads

Types of Beads Used in Beading


There's lots of types of beads which you can use in beading & can be found readily in craft stores or the Web.Given the choices, you have to think of the beading project which you intend to generate first.Having an idea of what you intend to do will makes things simpler & in your hunt for the beads & findings & the quantity which you require to purchase.Below are some types of beads which you can use in your beading projects / jewelry making.


Pearls

There's a few types of pearls obtainable in the market, namely real pearls & cultured pearls.Cultured pearls are usually manmade or reared artificially. They are relatively inexpensive as compared to real pearls harvested from the ocean. E. g. Swarovski pearls & freshwater culturedpearls.There's also plastic pearls which are readily obtainable but do not have the lustre shine. Depending on your budget, you could pick from different types of pearls in your beading / jewelry making needs.


Glass Beads


Glass beads are commonly used in beading projects. Some common ones are Czech glass beads or Indian glass beads.They are obtainable in different designs such as leaf shape which make them popular.Usually the Indian glass beads have colourful coatings & designs & are usually handmade.


Crystal Beads


Crystal beads are widely used in jewelry making as they give the jewelry a sparkle & glam finish. The more popular ones are Swarovski crystal beads which have a lot of designs & cutting. The shine from the Swarovski crystal beads give the final jewelry piece a attractive glitter, which is why it is commonly used. Beware that there's some imitation crystal beads which are actually common glass beads & may cost slightly cheaper than Swarovski crystal beads. Do get your beads from a trusted Swarovski authorized merchant or reliable Web dealer to avoid being con!


Semi precious stone beads


These are semi precious stone beads which are processed to be tiny beads. They can come in a quantity of shapes & sizes which can be used in beading projects.


Seed Beads


These are tiny beads which come in different sizes, like 12/0, 15/0 etc. The smaller the number,the bigger is the beads.They are manufactured in a quantity of places but the usual ones are Japanese seeds beads (which are of a higher quality) & Taiwanese seed beads (which may not be even).


Plastic Beads


These are commercial beads which are readily obtainable & are inexpensive. They can be used in a variety of beading projects from the simple to the complex ones. Plastic beads are used widely in making children's jewelry as they are safer & less easy to break. Lots of lovely children's jewelry are made of a combination of metal beads & plastic beads.


Metal Beads


There's lots of types of metal beads. In the past, lots of different societies have created beads from various metals - from gold to even using metals from cooking pots. For e.g. you have Indian brass beads or Greek metal that are made from non-precious metals or even Thailand / Cambodia metal beads.


Wooden Beads

There's also wooden beads made from various wood by methods such as painting or polishing.

Stone Beads

These are beads that are made from stones such as limestone.

Bone Beads

These are carved in to various shapes of beads & colored tp various designs.