Beadwork with beads for bracelets is a popular craft because of its essential components and the numerous designs that can be created with it. Beading often entails stringing beads onto a line or weaving bead designs on a loom.
There are several beading process variants and complex variations amongst patterns. Whatever you choose, learning to bead involves the appropriate supplies and a little work. But before that, you need to be able to differentiate different bead types available in the market. Knowledge of bead types will help you prepare designs and create the best charm and beaded bracelets.
Different Beads for Bracelets
Metal beads come in various forms and sizes and are frequently produced from aluminum, brass, copper, and several other alloys. As a result, they are a less expensive alternative to actual gold and silver.
These are made with many incisions, giving the illusion of several flat sides or faces reflecting light and creating a sparkling dazzle with varying color depths. A facet is a flat face that has been carved or polished into the surface’s face. The number of facets on a faceted round might vary. The more facets (flat surface areas) it has, the more spherical it is.
Disc beads are extremely short cylindrical sliced beads with parallel sides and a center hole, essentially a flattened round bead.
Doughnut beads are flattened disc-like beads with a large center hole, similar to donuts. Beads are typically composed of glass, wood, or stone.
Crimp beads are tiny metal round beads that are used to link necklace or bracelet wires to clasps, as well as to hold beads in place on wire or thread. To secure their location, they are flattened with crimping pliers.
Corrugated beads are hollow metal beads fashioned from corrugated metal tubing to generate repeating patterns of grooves and ridges.
A round bead, also known as a Druk in glass beads, is the most basic and evident shape in both glass and metal beads.
Bicones are two cones joined at the base. They can also be smooth or faceted. A type of bead looks like two pyramids or cones stuck together at their bases.
Oval beads are often known as “oats.” How you slice it relates to the form being similar to that specific seed!
Rice Bead
Rice is a dimensional oval, not a flat oval, but an oval all the way around. It is comparable to a bicone in that it is longer than broad, has a rounded cross-section, and tapers towards the ends. The difference is that a bicone has more of a break or halt in the center, whereas an oval is more curved. Rice beads commonly refer to stone beads and pearls. But, of course, pearls are not entirely smooth, and faceted rice refers to an oval with facets carved into it.
Ceylon Beads
Ceylon glass beads are translucent or transparent beads with a pearly appearance. Ceylon is used before adding color to provide the bead with a lustrous finish on the outside or an inner color to an opalescent bead.
Charlotte Beads
Charlotte beads are from the Czech Republic and were historically manufactured in size 13 seed beads with one hand cut side, giving them a somewhat faceted appearance.
Chaton Crystal Beads
Chatons are faceted crystals with no stringing hole, a pointed back that may or may not be foiled, and a flat front.
Chevron Beads
Chevrons are made by layering many layers of different colored glass in a specific pattern to create a variety of colors. The design is then revealed by grinding away the ends.
Chinese Crystal Beads
Chinese crystal beads are lead-free glass beads designed to look like Swarovski crystals. Because these crystals are a less expensive alternative to the Swarovski crystals they are attempting to copy, the quality difference is evident.
Cloisonne Beads
Cloisonne is an antique enameling technique used to decorate metalwork. Cloisonne beads are very attractive (typically flowery) and beautifully complement beaded necklaces and bracelets.
Coil Beads
Coil beads are metal beads made from coiled wire, similar to metal springs. Some coil beads, like crimp beads, may be pinched.
Cone Beads
Cone beads are cone-shaped beads that can have elaborate designs or be plain and smooth. They are frequently used as pendants and earring drop bead caps.
Confetti Beads
Confetti beads are glass beads that are also referred to as Sugar beads. The beads are rolled in tiny glass fragments while still heated, creating a sugary look on the bead.
Crackle Glass Beads
By plunging molten glass into water, Venetian glassmakers discovered crackle glass beads. This causes the exterior to fracture while the interior remains heated, resulting in the crackling effect.
Crow Beads
Crow beads are somewhat oval-shaped glass beads. Crow beads resemble Pony beads but are smaller in size.
Delica Seed Beads
Delica beads are little seed beads with cylinder or hexagonal shapes that the Japanese Miyuki Corporation trademarks. These glass beads are accurately cut, resulting in a uniform size and shape.
Diamanté Beads
Diamantés are glass stones that have been cut and polished to shimmer and dazzle like diamonds. They are available in both sew-on and glue-on styles.
Drawn Beads
Drawn beads are made by cutting a long tube of glass drawn from a molten glass ball. After hardening, the bead is often tumbled or warmed to soften the edges and give the bead a more clean and rounded appearance.
Drop Beads
Drop beads, like teardrops, are optically broader at one end than the other. As a result, the bead can be drilled from top to bottom or across the top, the latter being the recommended method for wire wrapping.
Druk Beads
Druk beads are a kind of spherical glass bead manufactured in Czechoslovakia. The pressed bead has no apparent seam line and is generally completely spherical.
Dyed Beads
Dyed beads are created by applying a surface colorant to a prepared bead. Seed beads are frequently colored. The fading process in colored beads can be slowed using an appropriate spray or varnish.
Eye Beads
These unique beads often have dots or circles (or both) that resemble an eye. Eye beads originated in Anatolia and were historically used to fend off the Evil Eye’s stare.
Faux Jewelry Beads
The French term faux implies fraudulent or counterfeit. This term refers to beads or stones that are a knockoff or imitation. For instance, ‘Faux diamonds or pearls’ represents fake diamonds and pearls.
Fire-Polished Jewelry Beads
Fire polishing includes heating the surface of the glass bead and softening the facets in a polishing furnace. The result is a smoother, more polished surface than machine-cut glass beads.
Flatback Beads
Flatbacks are crystal beads that are flat on one side and can be glued or ironed on.
Focal Beads
Focal beads, which are generally more significant and ornamental than the others, are frequently used as a centerpiece. They can be worn alone or with smaller, more delicate beads.
Foil-Backed Beads
Foil-backed stones are transparent glue-on stones with a foil coating on the back in either gold or silver to enhance and highlight the stone’s color by reflecting more light.
Foil Beads
Foil beads are glass beads formed around a small piece of gold or silver foil.
Frosted Jewelry Beads
Frosted glass or crystal beads have a translucent frosted coating etched to improve the surface attractiveness. To purchase frosted beads, go here.
Horn Beads
Because they are manufactured from natural materials, horn beads, like bone beads, are organic. Our forefathers manufactured horn beads among the first beads for ornamental purposes.
Lampwork Beads
Lampwork beads are gorgeous and are made by melting glass rods with a flame torch.
Opalite Beads
Opalite is a synthetic version of the opal gemstone. It is often constructed of glass or resin. It has a milky, pearlescent sheen with an iridescent finish. It’s a far less expensive alternative to opal and moonstone, which it resembles. Click here to purchase opalite beads.
Rocaille Beads
Rocailles are circular seed beads that come in various sizes ranging from size 15 to size 3. Miyuki of Japan produces high-quality Rocailles that are consistent in shape and size.
Regular Seed Beads
Seed beads range in size from 1 (the biggest) to 24 (the smallest) and are most famously made by the Japanese company Miyuki. They are available in various forms, the most popular of which are rocaille (round) seed beads. Square, triangle, drop, bugle, and hexagon are some more shapes
Shamballa Beads
Shamballa beads, often fashioned with crystals, have become a fashionable trend in jewelry manufacturing. In macrame braiding, it is most typically used with Shamballa cord
Swarovski Beads
Swarovski crystals are the best quality crystal beads on the market. Swarovski has invented a cutting method that gives its gems an unrivaled shine.
Natural Wooden Beads
Natural wood beads are available in various forms and sizes and can be primary or very ornamental.
