The appearance of a piece of beaded jewelry is dependent upon the type of beads used. Beads are available in a vast range of colors and sizes.

Main Types of Beads

Few beads which are commonly used in making jewelry include:

  • Acrylic beads

These beads are usually made of various types of polymerized materials. Since plastic is the basic material, they are light weighted and quite affordable.

  • Charm beads

Charm beads are basically made of die cast metals. They are available in a range of finishes, color, shapes and sizes. Charm beads usually contain a built in loop for jewelry attachment and clasps for convenient use.

  • Crystal beads

These are glass beads of high quality, which may be crafted into varying shapes like rondelles, rounds, bicones and many more. The surface of these beads usually contains facets cut into it.

  • Bungle beads

These are small beads, which are usually tubular in shape. They are used in plenty of bead weaving projects. They are available in two primary categories, which include the Chinese and Japanese cut beads.

  • Glass beads

These are the most commonly used beads. They may range from affordable to expensive in terms of pricing. Glass beads may be of varying shapes ranging from round to square ones. They are immensely popular as they provide an expensive look to the jewelry piece in which they may be set.

The best finished glass beads are usually expensive. You can visit jessejamesbeads.com to browse through the different varieties of glass beads including Preciosa glass beads, Swarovski crystals, Czech glass beads and many more.

  • Spacer beads

These metal beads are usually used in-between other varieties of beads in a jewelry piece, as decorative pieces. The component metal may be die cast into different shapes to make these beads.

  • Pearl beads

These beads may either be made of real pearls or glass pearls, which may be coated to give the appearance of pearls. They may be of different types based on their quality. Beads made of genuine pearls are expensive when compared to glass pearls.

  • Seed beads

Seed beads are commonly used in making jewelry. They may be categorized into the following types:

  • Round seed beads which are called Rocailles.
  • Hexagonal shaped seed beads which generally have a hole in the centre.
  • Square seed beads or cube seed beads.
  • Drop seed beads that have a central hole.
  • Oval shaped twin beads with double holes which make them suitable for complex bead weaving.
  • Square Czech seed beads that are double holed glass beads.
  • Semi precious beads

These beads are made from semi precious stones including turquoise, hematite, agate and many more.

  • Wooden beads

The affordable wooden beads may vary in quality, sizes and colors. They are relatively easy to craft and design.

The numerous varieties of beads may often make selection of the appropriate beads a difficult task. It is hence advisable to select beads keeping in mind the budget and jewelry design.

Jesse James Beads offers a good range of high quality beads to choose from. The beads are available in varying designs, finish and color. You may choose the ones most suit to your budget and requirement.