Seed Bead Sizes.

Q: 'Japanese Seed-Beads' are the most uniform of all seed-beads. They are nearly as uniform as 'Japanese Delicas', and other cylinder beads, but have a more of a rounded shape. You'll do better to purchase Japanese seed beads, or very high quality Czech seed-beads for loomwork which requires uniformity. The odd-sized beads made in Czechoslovakia and France have their place too... they are great for bead applique/embroidery, freeform off-loom work, and sculptural work. Don't throw them out!

A: That's often a problem with some of the lesser quality beads, especially those made in Taiwan, France, and some Czech. For quality, well-sized Czech seed beads go to: http://www.shipwreck-beads.com/index.html The 'Delicas' are a bit different than seed beads, a bit more expensive but faster to use and very consistant at: http://www.caravanbeads.com/ Most love them, some don't, for weaving. If you don't want to spend a lot of extra money, and you like the rounded look of seed beeds instead of 'Delicas', try 'Fire Mountain Gems' "Dynamites" beads. They are very inexpensive and work very well together. Also, 'Mill Hill' seed-beads, which can be purchased at crafts stores like 'Michaels' and 'AC Moore' are very uniform, but a little on the pricy side for me. I have to disagree on the quality of the 'Mill Hill' beads. When was the last time you bought some, Nicole? I used them quite a bit because they were available locally, and thought them pretty good (better than most seeds), but the ones I have gotten recently I'm not happy with. They are not as consistent as I would like - I'm back to the pick,pick,pick stuff. I'm not sure if their quality has changed or my standards. Also at $1.00-1.25 per pack, some packs 4.5 grams, some just 2.25 grams, 'Delicas' are hardly more expensive.

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