Wholesale Jewelry-Making Supplies for Professional Craftspeople
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• Glass Bead Coloration Definitions
  
• Measurements and Conversions
  
• About Seed Beads
  
• Rings & Things / Toho color number conversion chart
  
• Birthstones
  

• Trade Beads
• List of Bead Societies/Art Guilds
  
• List of Bead Museums, Organizations and Publications
  
• Stringing Cord Tips and Hints
  
• Looking for beads to buy? Check out our online store.

Coloration:

Iris: An iridescent coating, usually on dark, opaque beads
AB: Aurora Borealis, a pastel multicolored coating on translucent beads

Matte: Not shiny. Matte glass beads have usually been chemically etched (frosted).
Ghost: Translucent matte beads with an AB coating.

Our selection of basic-shaped Czech beads offers a glimpse of the most popular opaque, translucent and coated colors of glass beads available.

Number of round beads needed for common strand lengths (unknotted):

Bead Size  16"  20"  24"  36"
      3mm  130  170  200  300
      4mm  100  127  150  225
      6mm   67   85  100  150
      8mm   50   63   75  113
     10mm   40   50   60   90

Need more metric conversion information?
We have a page of detailed of inch-to-millimeter and millimeter-to-inch approximations and exact conversions.

Seed beads are sized in aughts, which are different than millimeters. One version of seed bead sizing says that the size (11/0) is the number of seed beads in an inch. Another source says that the seed bead size is related to the size of glass rod used to make the beads. It's hard to say what it really means, but the important thing to remember is that bead sizes are in inverse proportion to the size of the bead. A size 24 is almost invisibly tiny, and size 5 is big.

Rocaille is a word that is sometimes used in place of seed bead. What it really means is a silver (or gold) lined bead with a square hole.

Charlotte seems to always be used to describe size 13 seed beads, with one hand-cut side on each bead. This makes them slightly faceted.

An "E" Bead is also a seed bead, but is larger size 4, 5, or 6 seed bead.

We stock the following sizes of Czech seed beads (listed from smallest to largest). We also stock Czech "E" beads. To view colors available for seed beads listed below, click that size's image or name:
        Size 13
        Size 13, Charlotte-Cut
        Size 12
        Size 12, 3-Cut
        Size 11
        Size 11, Hex-Cut
        Size 10
        Size 8

We also stock Japanese Toho seed beads in the following sizes:
        Toho Treasures (formerly known as Toho Antiques)
        size 11

Seed Bead Size vs. Needle Size

Bead Size          Needle Size
10 or larger       Size 10
11 and 12          Size 12
13 and 14          Size 13
15 and smaller     Size 15

What about bead cord?

Loom Beading / Brick Stitch Lettering Charts

• January: Garnet (blood red)
• February: Amethyst (purple)
• March: Aquamarine (pale blue)
• April: Diamond (clear)
• May: Emerald (deep green)
• June: Alexandrite (imitations are lavender-blue)
  The genuine stone is a different color in sunlight than it is in fluorescent light.
  Pearls are often used instead of Alexandrite.
• July: Ruby (bright red)
• August: Peridot (pale green) Pronounced 'Pair-ih-doe'
• September: Sapphire (dark blue)
• October: Rose Zircon (pink) or Opal (fiery, multicolored)
• November: Topaz (natural color is brown;
  Treated blue topaz is more popular)
• December: Blue Zircon (A bit brighter blue than aquamarine; Synthetics and imitations are usually a bright turquoise-blue.)

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