Frequently Asked Questions
SEMI-PRECIOUS BEADS
This is a huge category, with many aspects to it. We all see pictures of what we call “the good stuff” most often in advertisements in catalogs, newspapers and magazines. Then there are the pictures of celebrities, wearing exquisite designer jewelry that make our mouths water. These all serve to inspire us to create designs, whether for ourselves, for others, or to sell. And so, we set out to find the materials that will thrill and further inspire us. Much of the best in gems, stones and beads is filtered off at the top, where it is offered to top jewelry designers and accessories manufacturers. Most of what eventually filters down to the level of most purchasers is less than perfect, but still quite good, and there is always the chance that treasure can be found out there! There is often a rule of thumb in effect, which says that the more money you spend, the better the quality you will find. Where that is usually the case, there are definitely bargains, treasures and special "finds" out there waiting for your creativity and TLC! It is a policy of the Beadiak that, when we find a bargain out there, we're thrilled to be able to pass it on to you. Here are some important perspectives to enable you to make wise and cost-efficient choices.
1. What is “PRECIOUS” and what is “SEMI-PRECIOUS?”
“Major Precious” includes diamonds, emeralds, rubies, aquamarine, sapphires, and turquoise. Yes, turquoise is in this category! That’s because truly magnificent (by fine jewelry standards) turquoise can look a lot like plastic! It’s color is flawless, and close to the color of the sky on a sunny clear day. And it’s in short supply. Read more about turquoise below. Tastes change over time, and different colors of stone become sought after. Pink and blue sapphires have taken turns leading in popularity over time. The same with colored versus clear diamonds. And the same, again, with cuts and faceting. “Semi-Precious” generally means a mid-range assortment of different stones. The list is enormous, and grows even bigger as new stones are discovered and new minerals defined. In some cases, new areas are being explored, and engineering technology has grown.
2. Things To Be Aware Of When Buying Beads
Drilling
Always be aware of the way stones are drilled. It’s not an accident that beads are usually held tightly together on a 16” strand, neatly knotted at each end, making it nearly impossible to easily see the holes in each bead. Always check to see if the holes are evenly drilled on each side and the surfaces around the holes are smooth and not marred with drill marks or poor (cheap) grinding or polishing.
Color
Color is always tricky. The natural color of many stones is altered in several ways. Some color alterations (or enhancements) are stable and permanent. Others, such as certain dyes, are not. Some of the most common dyed stones are aquamarine, ruby, garnet, onyx, all of the quartzes (amethyst, clear quartz, citrine, rose quartz, etc.), amazonite, coral, carnelian, and more. Sometimes, stones are irradiated to change the molecular structure and thus change the color. It’s a good idea to wash stones you suspect of being dyed before you use them. That way you’ll know exactly what color they are. Another way to test them is to put a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a white towel and see if any color comes off when you rub the stone. Using an acrylic sealing spray can help a color stay. Use either the gloss or matte to achieve the result you want. Make sure you apply a light coat evenly and quickly and don’t seal up the holes. Also, keep them from touching anything (or each other) while they dry.
Price
Remember that if something is too good to be true, it IS most probably too good to be true! Also remember that you get what you pay for. That doesn’t mean you can’t get beads of lesser quality and do what you want with them. It might mean, however, that you will need to spend some more time making the necessary corrections. A cheap (as compared with inexpensive) strand of beads might yield only one or two beads good enough to use, making those two beads pretty expensive! Spending more to buy a strand of better quality will actually cost you less per bead. You can always use a bead reamer to fix less than perfect holes. And you can find creative and original ways to utilize design elements to camouflage imperfections. Use WireArt techniques on a chipped pendant stone, for instance. Use bead caps or small flat rondels next to poorly drilled holes. Use your imagination and dare to explore and be different!
SEED BEADS
How are they made?
All seed beads are made of glass. The process by which they are made is called "drawn glass." A wire is dipped into molten glass and then stretched taut before the glass hardens. Once the glass has hardened, and wire is removed and the long tubes of glass are then cut into various lengths, and then tumbled to make them smooth. Color can be added to the glass before it is put on the wire, or applied to the glass after it has hardened. Sometimes color is painted on either the outside or the inside of the glass bead. Colors in the glass itself are generally permanent, but colors applied to surfaces can wear off, chip, or fade. That is just the nature of glass. More about color below.
Shapes
The seed beads we call round are actually squashed into an oval shape. But seed beads can also be square, triangular, hexagonal, cylindrical, or tubular. Thin tubular seed beads are known as bugle beads. Seed beads can also be faceted. They can be 3-cuts, 2-cuts, or the 1-cuts that we know as "Charlottes."
Names of Glass Seed Beads
Opaque Transparent
Translucent Silver Lined
Iridescent Color Lined
Metallic AB (aurora borealis)
Rocaille Rainbow
1-Cut (
2-Cut
3-Cut
Sizes of Glass Seed Beads
(The larger the number, the smaller the bead)
1/0 (Largest) to26/0 (Smallest)
The most popular sizes are: 8/0, 10/0, 11/0, 12/0, 13/0, 15/0
How Seed Beads are Most Frequently Sold
Kilos (2.2 lbs.)
Ounces (28 grams)
Hanks
Loose in tubes or bags
About Hanks of Seed Beads
A hank is usually a bunch of strands, 20” long, with the ends gathered together at the top.
Hanks are usually made of Czech beads.
Strings can be anywhere from 6” to 20” long.
| Bead Size | Beads on a 20" String | Beads per Hank |
| 8/0 | 280 | 3,360 |
| 10/0 | 295 | 3,540 |
| 11/0 | 340 | 4,080 |
| 12/0 | 370 | 4,440 |
| 13/0 | 415 | 4,980 |
| 14/0 | 465 | 5,580 |
HOW MANY BEADS DO I NEED?
(seed bead per inch (approximately)
| BEAD SIZE | 1" |
| 5/0 | 7 |
| 8/0 | 12 |
| 10/0 | 15 |
| 11/0 | 16 |
| 12/0 | 19 |
| 13/0 | 21 |
| 14/0 | 22 |
| 15/0 | 24 |