Types!

​​ Beads! Beads! Beads!

Types!​ ​

There are many different types of beads, shapes, sizes, color, material, etc, depending on how you want to classify them. However, when you go to a bead store the main types that you will find, classifying by material, the main classification group, are glass, wood, plastic, metal/stone, and ceramic. To find out how any of the beads are made, go to the link How They are Made! at the bottom of the page.

Glass Beads - Glass beads are made in a variety of sizes and colors. The most common glass bead is the seed bead. Seed beads are tiny beads, about a millimeter long, that are fun, easy to use, and come in every color! To give the appearance of real stones, glass beads are often given a swirl effect. Glass beads are also used to make a variety of shapes, tubes, animals, etc.



Wood Beads - Wood beads can be plain, patterned, or textured, and come in large beads the size of a plum, or the size of a seed. Wood beads come in dark and light, and are usually oval or round, but they come in other shapes too. A lot of the time wood beads have a layer of glaze over them to give a shiny effect.



Plastic Beads - Plastic beads are cheap and easy! Mass production allows these beads to come out fast and cheap. Generally plastic beads aren't as good quality, and you wouldn't see a plastic centerpiece on a sterling silver necklace. However, plastic beads are used for all sorts of things!



Metal/Stone - Stones/metals of all kinds are made into beads. One of the most common is sterling sliver. Stirling silver is not only made into chains, and store bought necklaces, but also into some beautiful beads. Another kind of bead is the Hematite bead. Not many people have heard of it, but it is a very special bead. It is made from iron ore, and has a magnetic quality that allows it to wrap around and connect to the other beads. Some beads are also made out of precious gemstones (emerald, ruby, diamond, etc. ) but, those are very expensive, and are mass produced synthetically. Gold, copper, brass, amber, jade, labyrinth, and more are made into some strikingly beautiful beads.



Ceramic - As my history of beads page shows, ceramic beads/beads made out of clay are the oldest types of beads. Ceramic beads are stunning, they aren't simple, and have many types of designs. Ceramic beads, like most above, come in many different shapes and sizes, colors and designs, and from many, many places.​



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