The popular size 8 seed beads are small, round and are shaped like donuts. A wide variety of beading projects use size 8 seed beads, and they come in an extraordinary amount of colors.
From matte to shiny, opaque to see through, size 8 seed beads can also use coatings to create multicolored, pearl-like or metallic optical effects.
How to buy size 8 seed beads
Mostly size 8 seed beads are purchased by the hank or by weight, depending on the country of origin. Japanese seed beads use the weight measurement, while Czech beads use hanks. Either way, size 8 seed beads are are too small to count the amount that would be needed to complete a project.
A hank is 10-12 strings of beads, each with about 20" of size 8 seed beads.
By weight, many strung necklaces ask for between 5-50 grams of size 8 seed beads, depending on how intricate the detail can be and what other beads have been used. The heaviness of the specific material used to make the seed bead will affect how many each gram will give.
Using different seed bead sizes and colors can create interesting effects within the one project.
How beads are sized
The sizes of seed beads are determined by a numbering system that is inversely related to the size of the beads themselves. The larger the size number, the smaller the bead.
The smallest bead size is around 22, which is incredibly small, which explains why in the last century beads smaller than 15 haven't been commercially available. Size 8 seed beads are not too small to be used in jewelry making, yet not too large to not look effective in a weave.
Size 8 seed beads are smaller than the more popular size 11 seed bead, but their smaller size makes them incredibly versatile for many projects. With a range of different finishes, people use size 8 seed beads create interesting beaded projects, or for use as spacers between feature beads.
Varieties of size 8 seed beads
Czech and Japanese size 8 seed beads are thought to be among the best. The slightly irregular shape of the Czech size 8 seed beads enables them to reflect light at numerous angles, and fill odd shaped spaces quite evenly.
The more uniform and squared-off Japanese size 8 seed beads are slightly larger than a Czech size 8 seed beads, but both are effective in creating beadwork of uniform surface and texture.
Uses for seed beads
Whatever the color or style, size 8 seed beads are incredibly useful and can be bought from any bead distributor or store. Why not try using them in your next project?
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