Beads are obviously the most important tool that you need. There are various kinds of beads that can be used for beadwork. If you are interested in beadwork, then you would need to know the various kinds that exist. Knowledge of the various beads can help you decide the kind of beads that you want to use in the different beadwork projects that you choose.

Pearls are one of the most coveted beads that are used to make jewelry. One can find real or pure pearls and cultured ones too. The ones that are pure can cost a fortune and therefore are almost exclusively used for jewelry. Glass beads are extremely common and most common types include the Czech and the Indian beads. Crystal beads, semi-precious stones and seed beads are also used extensively. Japanese and Taiwanese seed beads are considered to be of good quality.

Other than these the beads that are relatively cheaper include plastic beads, metal beads, wooden beads, stone beads and bone beads. Each of these come in various shapes and sizes and can be painted with different patterns, designs and colors. Some of these can be extremely colorful in nature.

Beads are sometimes also classified based on the shape that they have. Bugle beads are those that are tubular in shape. These are cut to different sizes based on the requirement. Beads that have flat facets ground into the surface are called charlottes. Chatons are beads that are made of crystal with metal loops underneath. Some of the other common shapes include donuts and faceted beads, flatbacks and more.