Bead Size	Per Inch	7"	16"	24"	32"	36"
3mm	8.25	57	132	200	265	288
4mm	6.25	43	100	150	200	225
5mm	5.00	35	82	124	160	180
6mm	4.25	28	67	100	132	153
7mm	2.50	24	57	85	114	26
8mm	3.25	22	50	75	100	112
10mm	2.50	18	40	60	80	90
12mm	2.00	13	33	50	66	72
14mm	1.75	13	29	43	56	63
16mm	1.50	11	25	38	50	54
18mm	1.25	10	23	34	5	50
20 mm	1.20	8	20	29	38	43

Seed Bead Size Guide:
Seed beads are sized in aughts, which are different than millimeters. The size of a bead is very loosely meant to convey the number of beads per inch. Thus, 11/0 roughly means there are 11 beads per inch. The important thing to remember is that bead sizes are in inverse proportion to the size of the bead. A size 24 is almost invisibly tiny, and size 6 is big. Also note that the actual size of beads varies greatly depending on origin and so these numbers can be off by as much as plus or minus 20%.

Threads, Cord, and Wire Guide:

• Silk Bead Cord  is used for beads with smaller holes such as freshwater pearls and beads under 5mm.

• Nylon Bead Cord is used as an all purpose bead cord. You can use Beeswax to coat the cord to keep it from fraying and tangling when it is repeatedly threaded through metal beads with sharp edges. Using light colors cord for a dark bead will lighten that bead color and conversely  a dark color cord will darken a light bead.

• Tiger Tail  is a commonly used stringing material, and does not require a needle.

• Beadalon is a wire that remains soft and pliable, even when using the smaller beads. It is a multi-strand braided stainless steel wire with a nylon coating.

• C-Thru Translucent Cord  is perfect for stringing crystals or any light colored bead when you don't want the cord to be visible.

• Stretch Magic is a flexible clear elastic cord. It is often used for slip-on crystal bracelets, and only requires a knot to finish.

• Memory Wire is a pre-coiled stainless steel wire that retains it shape. Very popular for wine charm markers and bracelets.

• Rattail is a round, satin-like cord, often used to show off one large pendant or centerpiece.

• Leather Cord is a popular stringing material as there is no finishing required.

Wire and Sheet Gauges:
In wire and sheet gauge sizes, the larger the number, the smaller the diameter of the wire or the thinner the sheet of metal. Each wire also has a wire temper which measures the amount of spring in the wire. Soft  has no spring when you bend it and is good for making wire beads. Half-Hard  has ome spring, but is still malleable and is good for basic wirework because it holds its shape well. The most commonly used sizes for wire wrapping are 20 to 24g. Other sizes include

• 26g - extra fine - for very small and delicate projects

• 24g - fine - for pearls & most gemstones - easy to work with

• 22g - medium - fairly universal for glass beads, fits some pearls and gemstones

• 20g - medium heavy - great for earwires, clasps or larger beads

• 18g - heavy - often good for chainmaille or when you want a heavier look

• 16g - heavy - often used as a base to wrap finer wires around

• 14g - heavy - often used as a base to wrap finer wire around

• 12g - very heavy - hard to work with, good for rings and buckles

WIRE GAUGES			SHEET GAUGES
B & S Gauge	Decimal	Millimeter	B & S Gauge	Decimal	Millimeter
12	.0811	2.06	14	.0630	1.60
14	.0630	1.60	16	.0512	1.30
16	.0512	1.30	18	.0394	1.00
18	.0394	1.00	20	.0323	0.82
20	.0323	0.82	22	.0252	0.64
22	.0252	0.64	24	.0197	0.50
24	.0197	0.50	26	.0157	0.40
26	.0157	0.40	28	.0118	0.30
28	.0118	0.30	30	0.110	0.25

Plating Standards and Abbreviations:

• SC - Silver Color Metal

• GC - Gold Color Metal

• SP - Silver Plated Finish: Silver plated over over a base metal for a Sterling Silver appearance.

• GP - Gold Plated Finish: Gold plated over a base metal for a 14K Gold appearance.

• SS - Sterling Silver : Has .925 actual silver content.

• GF - Gold Filled: A layer of 12K or 14K Gold, milled to a base metal for a long lasting gold appearance.

• 14K - .585 actual gold content.

• 18K - .750 actual gold content.