alvina1971

Can anyone out there post pictures of those different kind of beads? I do alot of beading but sometimes I'm not sure what kind of bead I'm using or what exactly they're called. Usually I just call them cut or seed beeds.

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cal

Blackbear

Hmm...another challenge offered up...I will see what I can do... for now though..here is a pic of some padre beads... these are about 8 or 9mm in size...oh yeah they are the green and the black beads...the saucer shaped ones are simply india silver and then the stone beads are tibetan turquoise...

Attached Images

padre.jpg (21.6 KB, 123 views)

ingrambead

:) Pretty pretty :)

Blackbear

thank you thank you!!

Blackbear

Ok...I was'nt sure how to start this but I suppose I can start this way... seed beads

sizes start at size 5 and go into the 20's... five being the largest and the sizes in the 20's being basically salt grain sizes LOL!!
the most common sizes used are 10's, 11's, 13's and 14's.
13's and 9's are most commonly charlotte cut..which means they have one or more sides with a spot cut flat on them so that they catch the light and sparkle. 8's also come in a cut variety but are'nt cut like the charlottes...they are more of a hexagonal shape and are called 8-2s. Size 15 comes in either round or hexagonal shape (hex beads). A size 15 round is so close to the size 14 that they can be mixed up. Delicas are a tiny cylindrical shaped bead with a large hole. They are very uniform in size and come in MANY colors... but are better used for brick stitch and peyote stitch than anything else...seed beads are generally made in chzechoslovakia and japan but some are also made in Italy and are hard to find and some sizes are no longer made. The Japanse made ones have larger holes. Bugle beads are the cylinder shaped beads that you usually see in bead fringe. They go from a size 4 MM to 25mm and sometimes larger..in this case the smaller the number the shorter the bead.

Ok that is all for now..I could be here all night.... Maybe I should even start a new thread just for this... I used to work in a bead store but that has been a few years ago now and sometimes I forget things..so if anyone sees anything to the contrary..please speak up and correct me when I am wrong.

Czechy

Yow! This is a big topic! Blackbear has described things pretty well. I can add a little to what she has mentioned. Uncut beads that are round-shaped all over are often called "rocaille". Cut beads come in different kinds. "True" cut beads mean that one facet has been ground into each of the beads. "Charlotte" is the term usually reserved for Czech size 13 true cut beads. 3-cut beads have more facets on them and you normally are in beads size 9 and size 12. 2-cuts are are like really short, fat bugle beads with the cuts at the ends of the beads, making them look rather square-shaped. There is another name for these but I can't think of it right now.

Some trivia: The bead sizes from 16 and smaller (up to 24, I think) are true antiques. Production in those sizes stopped nearly 100 years ago so once they are gone, there ain't no more. And, there are no needles made to fit through the tiniest beads so they have to be strung on strands of horsehair.

I have some size 24 beads which I'll scan in to show just how small these things are. Just amazing!

tipis

I prefer working with 20/o to 26/o and some large quantities of these beads. But, as you stated, there are no more. BTW, the size 15/o needles will work in these tiny size beads. They come in 25 needles to the pack and out of that number, about 3 or so will go through the eye of the bead. The English 16/o are not as small as the 15/o though they are suppose to be.
And I have used horse hair to string and then overlayed a second thread over the horse hair. Have tried useing surgical micro threads and needles, but they are too big, if you can believe that. The thread I use is doubled over 000.


tipis

Blackbear

Ok let's try this tonight.. bead color terms

rocaille :as mentioned before does mean seed bead but is also another term for silver lined. Silver lined means exactly that..the inside of a transparent bead is silver colored.

Transparent: light can shine throught it..you can see through it.

Opaque: cannot see through it , light will not pass through it.

Lined: this is any transparent bead with another color in the center

Rainbow/AB-aurora borealis: a transparent coating on a bead giving it that "gasoline on water" irridescence.

Iris: Pretty much the same thing as AB coating , but on an opaque bead and with more of a metallic look to it.

Metallic: pretty self explanatory.... looks like it is made of metal or sometimes is made of metal.


Well that is all I have for now..maybe someone can add more to it?

Czechy

Thanks tipis, I was wondering if technology had a solution to working with those miniscule little beads.

I can't find my size 24 beads. I do have some 18s and those are still pretty small.

More bead finishes:

CEYLON: A coating given to beads to make them look "pearly". Usually made in light pastel colors. The finish darkens with age and can even chip off.

MATTE: A matte finish takes away the natural shine of glass and dulls the color a bit so the beads do not reflect light. Same as when you etch glass with acid.

GREASY: This refers to a bead that is in between transparent and opaque. Many of the old Italian bead colors were this way.

LUSTERED: These are opaque or transparent beads that have an extra shiny coating to them, with an almost metallic sheen.

I'm sure there's more.

Also, a bead can have a combination of characteristics. For example, you can get beads that are silver-lined and coated with the AB/rainbow fire polish.

The combinations of colors and finishes are just mind-boggling! The Japanese currently make about 600 different colors. If you are going to serious get into beading, it might be worth it for you to get sample cards so you know the manufacturer's color numbering system.

Blackbear

Thanks Czechy..I knew I was forgetting a bunch...that is what I get for posting so late at night eh?