Types of Beads – An Endless Variety of Jewelry Making Materials

As any bead jewelry enthusiast knows, be they designer or maker, it is easy to become overwhelmed among all of the different types and colors of beads available in a bead store.

Just what is that pretty blue stone or that pretty glass bead with the flower designs, what is that purple and white stone? Picking a bead because it’s pretty or because of its color is one thing, but I for one like to know what it is, and what it is made of.

As a result, I thought that it would be nice to do an exploration and categorization of the many different bead types available to the bead jewelry maker.

One of the easiest ways to categorize beads is those that are made of:

Base metals
Bone
Clay
Crystal
Glass
Plastic
Precious metals
Semiprecious stones
Shell
Wood

For some interesting information about different types of beads click here on the link to purebeads.com

For a short video about the different types of beads that can be used in jewelry making here is a nice video from ehow.com

Types of Beads for Jewelry —powered by eHow.com

For some great information about the different bead types available to the bead jewelry maker and designer, some great references are:

• The Bead Directory by Elise Mann

• The Encyclopedia of Rocks, Minerals, And Gemstones by Henry Russell

• The Illustrated Bead Bible by Theresa Flores Geary, Ph.D.

For bead jewelry designs on etsy.com click here on the link to joyfulpearl2010

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