Seed beads vary depending on the manufacturer. The most popular ones are Japanese and Czech but there are also Indian and Chinese seed bead manufacturers.
The quality and characteristics of seed beads can actually impact on your beading projects e.g. size and shape consistency. The size of the hole in the beads can also be important. If you are working on a project that requires several thread passes through the same bead, you will need a bead with a larger hole.
A Comparison Of Seed Bead Brands
Japanese Seed Bead Brands
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| Size 6 Miyuki seed beads |
Japanese seed beads are pretty high quality as the beads are very consistent in size. The three major Japanese seed bead brands are Miyuki, Toho and Matsuno.
Miyuki and Toho seed beads are more rounded and have large holes while Matsuno seed beads tend to look more cylindrical than the other brands. These beads are most commonly sold in tubes.
Czech Seed Bead Brands
Czech seed beads, manufactured in the Czech Republic, have rounded edges and small holes. They are usually sold by the hank and tend to be irregular in size and occasionally, shape. Their size inconsistency makes them a poor choice for bead weaving.
Delica Beads
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| Size 11 Delica beads |
In addition to the rounded seed beads, you can also find cylindrical seed beads known as Delica beads. These are produced by Miyuki. Delicas are typically more expensive than rounded seed beads and are sold in smaller quantities.
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When stitched, they fit together beautifully to create an even surface. I love using Delica beads for Peyote Stitch. Delicas tend to be smaller than rounded seed beads of the same size so you should keep this in mind when completing patterns. If you substitute Delicas in a pattern designed for seed beads, the look of the finished project can be very different.
Other Cylindrical Seed Beads
Toho also produces cylinder beads known as Treasures, formerly called Antiques. Treasures are similar to Miyuki’s Delica beads and can be substituted in a beading pattern. Like the Delicas, Treasures are high quality, consistently sized and have large holes which accommodate more thread passes.
Toho manufactures a second brand of cylinder beads specifically for bead weaving called Aiko beads. These beads are larger in size than the 11/0 Treasures or Delicas. They are 10.5/0, falling in between a size 11 and size 10 seed bead.
Aiko beads are top quality beads manufactured with state-of-the art machinery. These beads were actually named after the wife of the company’s president to honour his dedication to making these the finest beads in the world.
I have never had the pleasure of working with Aiko beads but supposedly there is no culling needed as they are just that perfect.
My Favourite Kind of Seed Bead Brand
I personally work with Miyuki seed beads more often but I have tried Toho seed beads and I do like them for their quality.
All of the seed bead brands have a wide range of colours so you are spoiled for choice.
See my post about Seed Bead Finishes.
What is your favourite brand of seed beads? Let me know in the comments below.
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Thank you for explaining the differences. While I do not do bead weaving, I sometime use seed beads as spacers in making jewelry. I wondered why some seed beads were not uniform.
Glad to have helped!
I am using Matsuno seed beads but when i put them in water the colour of the inside came off. Is it normal? Should we avoid water on seed beads?
Hi Sabiha, some seed beads finishes are not durable and will come off over time due to wear, exposure to chemicals or even sweat. In general, I avoid getting my beaded jewelry wet so I prolong the life of the piece.
Hi Maria,
Which are the major brands for Czech seed beads and where are best places to get either the Japanese or Czech beads online?
Thanks
The Czech seed bead brand I’m most familiar with is Preciosa.
There are tons of places you can purchase beads online but I’ve personally bought supplies from Potomac Beads because they have a wide range of beads and ship worldwide.
Hello,
Can I use miyuki seed beads and Toho seed beads in same project ? ( the round ones)
Hi, it depends. You probably won’t notice much of a difference in most projects. You may notice the difference when using techniques like Peyote Stitch that really depend on the consistency of beads but again, that depends on the project.