Information & Policies We hope you find this information useful.

Counts & Measurements

Approx. Number of Beads per Gram.

Delicas & Antiques 200
3.3mm Delicas 30
Size 11° Seed Beads 120
Size 14° /15° Seed Beads 250
Size 6° 18

Approx. Number of Beads per Tube

Bead Type Tube Size Grams Per Tube Bead Count
Delicas & Antiques 7.5 gram tube 1500
Delicas & Antiques 3"x1/4" Tube 5 gm 800
Size 11° Seed Beads 6" tube 3500
Japanese 11° Seed Beads 6"x1/2" Tube 30 gm 3000
Size 14° /15° Seed Beads 3" tube 3500

Converting Bead Sizes From Millimeters to Inches

2mm = 0.0788 " 6mm = 0.2364 "
3mm = 0.1182 " 8mm = 0.3152 "
4mm = 0.1576 " 10mm = 0.3940

What size needle should I use?

I prefer a size 10 needle because I can't stand a bent needle! Most beaders swear by the English needles. Many beaders prefer a size 12 which is Smaller than a 10.

As you may have guessed, the larger the size the smaller the needle.

Needle Size recommended for use with these beads
Size10 Delicas, 10° Seed Beads
Size 12 Delicas, 10° Seed Beads, 14° Seed Beads, Charlottes, 3 Cuts
Size 12 - Extra Long (3") Loom Delicas, 10° Seed Beads, 14° Seed Beads

Size 13 - Extra Long (3") Loom Delicas, 10° Seed Beads, 14° Seed
Beads, Vintage 13°
Size 15 Vintage Beads 14° through 24°
Size 16 Vintage Beads 14° through 24°

What kind of thread should I use?
You can probably cause more controversy among beaders with this question
than any other I prefer S-lon or Fireline for most of my projects, I can't abide by Nymo and often use KO. Other beaders would probably disagree.
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Great Knot for the end
of your beading thread.

It won't come out, it's easy to do once you learn how, and you can control the size of it. Here are the steps:

1. Thread your needle. This techniques works for a doubled or single thread.
2. Hold the needle pointing straight up in your dominant hand.
3. Grab the tail of the thread, where you want the knot to be. Hold it above the needle, so the tip of the thread points down at the point of the needle.
4. Bring the tail of the thread parallel to the needle. Release one of your fingers holding the needle and grab the tail against the needle. Now you have a continuous loop, with the tail hidden in against the needle, held in place with the hand holding the needle.
5. With your non-dominant hand take the thread just above the tail end, and wind it around the needle. The more times you wind the bigger the knot will be. Wind snuggly, but not too tight.
6. Adjust your grip on the needle to include the wound thread.
7. Grab the tip of the needle and sew right through your wound tail, pulling the needle away from where you are pinching the wound thread, until the knot pulls tight at the tail end of the thread.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are Your Seed Beads Colorfast?

Sometimes I want to create something just for me - just for right now. I don't care if it will look good in 2014. But, many times it seems important to believe my work will last, perhaps to be used by a grand niece down the road a while. When this is the case, here are some ways I test my seed beads to be sure they are color and lightfast:

1. Put a small number of beads in hot soapy water to soak. After a few hours, rinse, dry, and compare them to untested beads.
2. Test a sample group, soaking them in bleach for an hour. Then compare them to an untested group of beads.
3. Test another sample group, rubbing them with lighter fluid, mineral spirits, or
paint thinner. Then compare them to an untested group of beads.
4. Set a fourth sample group in direct sunlight for several days. Compare them to an untested group of beads
5. Test for abrasion resistance by filing the surface with a nail file. If the beads
are coated with paint or stain, and it easily files off, you might not want to use these beads on something that might be touched or rubbed, or that will rub against clothing, etc.
6. If you're making something that will be washed or dry-cleaned, sew a few of each color of beads on a swatch of your fabric. Test by washing or dry-cleaning he swatch.
7. To test for tarnishing, mix a sample group with mayonaise and let it sit for a ay or two. Rinse off the mayonaise and compare to a group of untested beads.

These tests seem like they would take some time and effort... and they do. But, if you've had the color rub off of some of the beads in a favorite necklace, as I have, then you know that sometimes it's worth the effort to test your beads.

We do our best to ensure we do not carry items constructed by an endangered species. Our items are approved for shipment by the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, and the Bureau of Animal Industries & Customs, located in the Philippines. Items we import are then sent through US Customs with their scientific name and description for approval.
We do not change our product names or "smuggle" any items out of the Philippines or Indonesia.

For example, Corals are banned from obtaining in the Philippines and are considered endangered. So we offer Limestone Corals. (the closest to real coral you can buy without endangering the environment) The corals we do carry are responsibly harvested.
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