Guide To Different Types Of Beads Used In Jewelry

For many people, jewelry plays an important role in their lives and is also an essential part of accessories. It not only compliments their outfit but also helps in making a unique impression that makes them stand out in the crowd. Everyone wants to look exceptional and wear something that people do not forget.

Whether you're a fan of simple, sophisticated jewelry pieces or chunky ones, making out-of-the-ordinary jewelry is a game-changer. You can use different types of beads and gemstones to make jewelry pieces to meet your fashion goals. Also, the more the options will be the more you are likely to get confused. Thus you need to be clear about your goals before starting stones jewelry making. We’ve come up with a detailed guide on different types of beads to work with and make special jewels.

What Differentiates Beads From One Another?

Beads vary in size, shape, surface pattern or texture, material, treatment, and origin. You can easily choose different kinds of beads for your jewelry pieces as per your personal preferences and the desired product you want to make. You should also consider some real-time problems that you may face like the strength of the beading cord, flexibility of the beads, accessibility, etc.

Different Types Of Beads You Should Work With

1. Acrylic Beads - A synthetic substance is derived from acrylonitrile to make these beads. These beads are available in different shapes, colors, and sizes. Although they are manufactured from a plastic-like material, they resemble glass beads. Thus, you will be able to get a great look at a low cost. They are highly affordable and lightweight and thus, they are used for jewelry making and other craft designs.

2. Seed Beads - These beads are made of glass and plastic and are available in a broad range of finishes, colors, and styles. Due to their small and regular shape, they are mostly used in bead weaving and loom work to create large patterns. The most common size and most available one is 11/0.

3. Pony Beads - These beads are available in a wide variety in terms of colors and finishes. These beads are magnificently lightweight and affordable. They are perfect for making jewelry pieces for everyday looks. These beads are larger than most seed beads and smaller than crow beads. They are equivalent to size 8/0 or 6/0 seed beads and are also known as E-beads.

4. Faceted Beads - These beads have both flat and sharp edges that make them look like gemstones. They are available in a broad range of colors ranging from translucent to dark colors. The translucent color makes them look like crystals. These are affordable and accessible in comparison to other gemstones. You can easily find jewelry-making supplies, beads, pom-poms, and more on our online website.

5. Bugle Beads - These are tubular glass beads that are constructed in the same way as seed beads. And they are cut glass rods that are tumbled for smooth edges. These are thin and their standard size is 1.5mm to 2.5mm. These beads are mostly used for costume design, jewelry, beaded fringe embroidery, etc.

6. Heishi Beads - These are small disc or tube-shaped beads and are usually made from various materials like stone, shell, or wood. They were first made from the shell by the Native Americans of the New Mexico region. Authentic heishi beads are handmade and it can take several days to make strands of 2 - 3 mm beads. The stripes of shell and stone are drilled with equally spaced holes and then cut into squares and after that, they are shaped and smoothed manually. The beads are beautifully smooth and have a uniform donut shape.

7. Ceramic Beads - These are round-shaped beads that are made of clay and are used for non-aggressive cleaning and for making visually appealing surfaces. In comparison to glass beads, these amazing beads have a long service life. They are high-tech blasting mediums and these meet high standards. For jewelry makers, several ceramic beads are having interesting surface textures, and some of them are intricately hand-painted.

8. Faceted Beads - These beads have many flattened edges that make them look like a cut gem. These are lightweight and affordable in comparison to crystal beads. These beads are luminous and sparkle because all sides of the beads catch and reflect light.

9. Lampwork Beads - These beads are highly beautiful and are handcrafted using glass material. They are manufactured by using a flame torch that melts glass rods to form these beads. The manufacturing process is quite laborious because different colored rods are needed to be melted together to make visible patterns on the surfaces.

10. Flatback Beads: These crystal beads are manufactured using the injection molding technique. The manufacturer’s composition of thermoplastic material is processed into a sheet, then the sheet is cut into various shapes. Flatback beads are very versatile due to their multiple purposes of use. Rhinestone is one of the best examples of flatback beads. Rhinestone is used for making jewelry, belts, shoes, cell phones cases, etc. There are more than 100 colors of crystal rhinestones available in the market.

11. Spacer beads: These crystal beads are manufactured by utilizing various methods such as molding, extrusion, and injection-molding techniques. These beads are round in shape and the different colors of crystal beads are used for making a variety of designs in a necklace or bracelet. Spacer beads are very popular among fashion designers in the market.

If you are also looking for different types of beads or stones for jewelry making to complete your projects, you can visit Dream Of Stones. We have various precious, semi-precious as well as man-made beads that you can use in different ways. You can share your thoughts or queries through hello@dreamofstones.com.