Miyuki Delica and Seed Bead Size Comparisons

Miyuki Delica and Seed beads are one of the most popular beads around, and it's easy to see why. As Miyuki say in their own words "MIYUKI glass beads are considered a "world standard" for their high quality, brilliance, and uniform shape. They are highly sought after by fashion designers, artists and bead fans alike."

Miyuki Delica Seed Beads come in a huge range of colours and finishes meaning they are one of the best choices for all types of beadwork. Although typically size 11/0 is the most popular, both Delicas and Seed beads are also available in other sizes.

In this article, we're going to give you a brief overview of both types of beads. We will compare the differences between the sizes in both bead ranges. This will hopefully help you when it comes to buying your Miyuki Delicas and Seed beads.

A Little Note on Bead Sizes

Both Miyuki Delicas and Seed beads follow the standard 'aught' bead size scale (many people pronounced it as zero or as 'oh'  e.g. size eleven-oh). The size is usually written as the number/0 or number/º, which is why you might see 11/0, 15/0 etc.

To measure the beads we see what number of beads can fit in a given length, usually an inch. Therefore, the bigger the bead, the smaller the number that will fit into this length. Hence why the bead measurement scale denotes higher 'aught' numbers for smaller beads.

Both Miyuki Delica and Seed beads come in sizes 15/0, 11/0 and 8/0. Miyuki Delicas also come in size 10/0 and Miyuki Seed beads come in larger sizes of 6/0, 5/0 and 1/0.

If you want to know more about Japanese beads, Miyuki Delica and Seed bead size codes and colour codes, read our blog all about them here.

Miyuki Delicas

Miyuki has very helpfully created a table that details their seed bead shapes and sizes:

Taken from the Miyuki Size and Shape of Beads page on their website (https://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/01.html)

The sizes given above are as true as they can be. However, it is important to remember that different finishes and platings can affect the overall bead size (both externally and internally). If you've struggled to pull your needle through certain 15/0 or 11/0 beads, it may be due to the finish of the bead. This is especially the case if it's an inside-lined or metallic-coated bead.

We sell our Delica and Japanese beads in a variety of weights, according to their size and coatings. Typically, we sell all our Delica sizes in individual 5.2g packs or as a bulk pack of 50g (which offers better value for money). However some Delicas and Japanese beads have coatings that are special or precious metal such as 24kt gold. We sell these in 3.3g packs to make them more purse-friendly!

Many bought patterns give the weight of beads used to help when buying your supplies, although this isn't always the case. Sometimes you need to know how many beads you're getting in each pack. We've put this information below. It is worth noting these are typical numbers and can vary depending on the platings applied to the beads. For example, some heavier metallic platings may result in slightly fewer beads per gram:

Miyuki Seed Beads

Again, Miyuki has produced a handy guide to their Seed Bead sizes, shown below:

Taken from the Miyuki Size and Shape of Beads page on their website (https://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/01.html)

Much like Miyuki Delicas, these are approximate as the coatings can impact on the bead sizes.

We sell our Seed beads in a variety of weights, according to their size and coatings, and you can buy them in individual or bulk bags for better value. Typically, we sell our Seed Beads as:

• 15/0 - 5g*, 8.2g or 100g packs (*special/precious coatings)
• 11/0 - 5.2g*, 22g, 100g** or 250g packs (* special/precious coatings, **our most popular colours only)
• 8/0 - 9.8g*, 22g or 250g packs (*special/precious coatings)
• 6/0 - 20g or 250g packs
• 5/0 - 20g pre-mixed or 5g Baroque Pearl coatings

Again, it's useful to know how many beads you get per gram and per inch, especially if you're making strung bracelets and necklaces. Here's some information we've put together to help you. Just like with Delicas it is worth noting, these are typical numbers and can vary depending on the platings applied to the beads. For example, some heavier metallic platings may result in slightly fewer beads per gram:

We do hope you find this information helpful when choosing your beads. There's nothing worse than buying beads for a project than finding you don't quite have enough. Conversely, having leftover beads can be a great way to build your go-to stash. That is unless you're short on space then perhaps just a handful here and there is the way to go. Our guide aims to help you shop smarter with us. If you have any questions about how to buy Miyuki Delica beads online, get in contact with us today!