By Sandra J. Paluzzi
The Bead Peddler®

Glass seed beads have a vocabulary all their own.  These tiny little beads come in a variety of sizes, shapes and finishes. 

The most common seed bead is shaped like a tire or donut.   At some point, someone decided these beads were shaped like the letter e and they are frequently called e beads.  If they are from the Czech Republic, they are sometimes called rocailles.  This donut shape is so popular that many people simply refer to it as a seed bead.  If a customer simply asks for 'seed beads' they are asking for the e bead.

The hex cut seed bead is a relatively new shape.  This seed bead is cut in the shape of a hexagon - with 6 equal sides. 

Both e beads and hex cut seed beads come in sizes.  The sizes are numbers, such as 6 or 11.  The number refers to the number of seed beads in an inch.  A size 11 e bead is the most common seed bead.  There are 11 e beads in an inch so you can imagine how tiny they are.

Bugle beads are small thin tubes.  They are much longer than other seed beads and measured in inches.  For example, a 1/4 inch bugle bead is a common size. 

The array of colors and finishes in seed beads is unbelievable.  There are transparent and opaque seed beads, silver and copper lined seed beads, matte and rainbow finished seed beads.  They come in all the colors of the rainbow and can be worked together to achieve any mood under the sun.