Hands up if you've ever beaded something and before you've even finished it the colour has started to wear away? Or how's about a piece of jewellery that you've had for years, wear all the time and still looks as fresh as a daisy? Sometimes it's not just down to how we look after our beads and jewellery, but the finish on the beads in the first place.
Luckily for us, Miyuki has produced a guide that highlights not just the different finishes (called the 'Process' on the guide), but also the characteristics of the finish and more importantly, its durability.
This means that you can compare the beads you have in your stash or your shopping basket against the list to see if the finish you've chosen will stand up to the wear and tear on the design you're going to make.
| There is a handy key further down the list to explain the durability of each finish; this should help you choose appropriate beads for your bead work. However they are careful to note that their data comes from their own testing and manufacturing history, so may differ depending on an individuals use. |
It is also important to note that this is not exhaustive list of their bead finishes. New finishes are being added all the time, such as the new Translucent range of Miyuki Seed Beads (colour numbers 2370 - 2378) hitting our website and our New Forest Bead Shop early July - all being well with manufacturer dispatch and delivery!
You can click on the pictures showing examples of beads to see further examples of the types of finish, however these are quite limited in what they show. It may be better to check out the pictures on our website where possible as they show the beads in all their glory - of course there's nothing like seeing them in real-life too so keep an eye out for the different finishes next time you're in our bead shop or at a bead show.
Check out the Miyuki Bead Finishes guide here