About Beads

An Introduction to Beads and Beading

Beads are small objects of decoration that are usually used in jewelry. In order to be used beads must usually first be pierced so that thread can be passed through them so that they can be joined together on a string. However beads can also be adhered to surfaces of various items such as wall hangings and sculptures in which case they would not need to be pierced. Beads can also be used to adorn personal items such as handbags and purses. They can also be used in home furnishing such as table cloths and cushions. Beads vary greatly in size from the tiniest beads that are less than a millimeter in diameter to the largest beads which will be a centimeter in diameter or more.

Don't be confused by the term seed bead. It doesn't necessarily mean that the bead is made from seeds, which some beads are. "Seed bead" is a generic term that is often applied to any small bead.

Beads can be made from all kinds of different material, but glass, plastic and stone tend to be the most common. But they can also be made from bone, horn, shell, ivory, coral, pearl, metal, gemstones, polymer clay, metal clay, resin, wood, ceramic, fiber, paper, seeds and synthetic materials. As you can see, one thing about beads is that there is no shortage of different materials with which you can work with.

Beads have been used since the very first civilizations. The oldest known examples of jewelry are an approximately 100,000 year old pair of beads made from sea snail shells. As well as for jewelry and personal adornment beads have been used for religious reasons, curative agents and as talismans for good luck.

The craft of making items from beads is known as beadwork. There are many different beadwork techniques and they can be broadly categorized as stringing, embroidery, crochet, knitting, loom weaving and off-loom weaving.

Beadworking is a craft that can be practiced by hobbyists of all abilities. Novices beaders can put together very simple items of jewelry in one short session. Experienced beaders may spend weeks of meticulous effort on their beadwork using specialized equipment and tools.