Seed Beads—A Fancy Jewelry Beads

Seed beads, a type of tiny glass beads, are widely used in jewelry making and decorating garments. This sentence is not wrong, but not correct absolutely. Glass is the most common material used to fabricate seed beads, but they are also made from metal, porcelain or tile. Some people may not know this. And of course, the most widely used one are the glass ones. Seed beads have been found that are centuries old and used to be currency.

6/0 Glass Seed Beads, Trans.Colours Rainbow

The world of seed beads is wonderful. Let’s take glass tiny seed beads for example. They have a hole in the center that enables you to run a needle and thread through and create all sorts of wonderful projects. The size for describing is not like other jewelry beads. Larger numbers mean smaller sizes. The most common smaller sizes are 11/0 and 15/0, and the most common larger sizes are 6/0 and 8/0. This is pronounced “eight-aught”, and means that about 8 beads strung together will measure 1”. Larger seed beads are also called pony beads.

11/0 Glass seed beads

Seed beads are extremely versatile. They can be used as spacers between other jewelry beads as the basis for intricate multi-strand necklaces. Loom or off-loom bead weaving is also quite popular among those who wish to make seed bead jewelry designs with a Native American feel. When working with these tiny beads, patience is the key. Since these beads are so tiny, they can be rather difficult for the novice to string. The very first thing that you have to arrange is a string that has a high tensile strength. You can use a thin wire or a strong thread. Next, you should have a beading mat with you. A beading mat can help prevent your beads from rolling around on your work area, while a small triangle scoop makes it easier to clean up when you are finished working.

Glass Bugle Beads, AB Color, GreenYellow

Seed beads are available in many colors, from opaque to transparent. Some beads are lined with a different color, or metallic material for a unique variation. And they are also available in many countries, but not only in Czech Republic and Japan. Searching them on the internet, you will find they are available in tens of thousands of jewelry beads online stores. Some are jewelry beads retailers, and some are wholesalers. I would suggest you to purchase from wholesalers as they can offer you much lower prices than retailers. And you can use the rest money to purchase more other jewelry materials for your designs.