Bead Sizes

Glass beads come in many shapes and sizes. There are standard bead sizes, however they are only a guide.

Small: 3 - 5mm

Medium: 6 – 8mm

Large: 9 – 14mm

Aught Sizes

Seed beads are measured in aught sizes. A size 11 seed bead is actually an aught size 11/0. The higher the aught size, the smaller the bead. This unit of measurement relates to how many beads will fit in a given area. The bead sizes can vary among manufacturers.

Sold by Hank

Each hank normally has 12 strands of beads or fewer, unless otherwise specified by the distributor. The amount of beads, and the sizes of the strands can vary enormously among manufacturers and the bead sizes themselves.

Sold by Weight

Expensive beads, such as lampwork beads, cloisonné beads and gemstone beads are often sold by weight.