There's a wealth of beads on the market today, all in different colours, shapes, sizes and finishes! It can be confusing to new and experienced beaders alike, so we've put together this handy guide detailing the differences between the bead finishes.
First off, here are some general terms to help you understand the differences, courtesy of Miyuki:
| Term | Bead Appearance |
| Opaque | Light does not pass through opaque beads, so they appear as a solid or block colour |
| Transparent | These beads can be transparent or coloured, however light passes easily through the bead; similar to stained glass window effects |
| Matt/Matte/Frosted | Beads that have a soft, dusty sheen to them, as the surface has been etched to remove the reflective quality |
| AB (Aurora Borealis) Also known as Iris or Rainbow, this finish is usually on half of the bead and reflects multiple colours (hence the rainbow aspect). The darkness of the bead will affect the intensity of the effect - the darker bead the more intense the AB effect. ABx2 denotes a double coating of the AB finish, giving a much stronger flash of colour. The AB finish can also be applied to frosted/matte beads too, to create a much more subtle shine of colour. |
| Ceylon This is a type of luster coating which gives a whitish shine to light, pastel coloured beads (e.g. white, cream, yellow, pink etc), or can also be the inside colour of opalescent beads. |
| Duracoat Dyed or galvanized beads with this finish have a durable clear coating on them to help protect the colour from fade or wear. The Duracoat finish is better than a standard dyed or galvanised bead, however it still may wear away over a long period of time. |
| Galvanized Also known as metallic, galvanized beads have a metallic plating applied to the glass, giving a reflective and shiny finish. Metal tones of silver, steel, copper, gold and bronze are the most popular finishes. This finish can be worn away over a long period of time. |
| Gold Luster Similar effect to a luster bead, however there is a warm golden shine or glow to the finish. Again the colour can sometimes be worn away over time, so care must be taken with these beads. |
| Inside Colour Also known as colour-lined, inside colour beads have an opaque colour coating applied to the inside of the bead. The bead is usually transparent to help show off the inside colour. The inside colour may also have an effect applied, such as luster, rainbow or fancy lined. |
| Luminous A type of inside lined bead, with very vibrant and neon bright colours inside the middle of transparent glass beads. |
| Luster These beads have an extra warm shine or glow to them. They are a uniform colour which is usually permanent. |
| Magic Part of the 'Magic' colour range, these colours have various tones of colour that are applied to an underlying colour, with a metallic shine on sections of the bead:
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| Matt/Matte Also known as frost, matte finished beads have flat, dulled surfaces that have no shine. The beads can look soft and velvety, and feel slightly rough to the touch. |
| Matt/Matte Metallic Also known as Metallic Frost, these are beads with a metallic-like colour applied then matted to give them a soft, dusty sheen. |
| Opaque These beads do not allow light to pass through them, so they are a shiny, block colour. There are also different finishes that are applied over an opaque bead: |
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Opaque Dyed Opaque beads which have been dyed as the colour cannot be created in another way. They are usually bright or unusual colours, however over time the colours may fade or wear off. | Opaque Matte Opaque beads with a matte/frosted appearance, giving them a dull, flat surface. | Opaque Matte Luster Opaque beads with a matte/frosted appearance, with a dulled luster shine to them. | Opaque Matte AB/Rainbow Opaque beads with the colourful AB finish applied, which has then been matted to give a softer sheen to them. | Opaque Luster Opaque beads with an extra shiny glow to them. | Opaque AB/Rainbow Opaque beads with the colurful AB finish applied, and left shiny and reflective. |
| Picasso The Picasso finish is found on opaque and transparent beads, and has a speckled or flecked appearance. The colour and effect is not uniform, so will appear different on each bead. |
| Semi-Frost Inside Colour Semi-Frost beads are a type of transparent matte bead, however the matte finish isn't as strong as normal so the bead still have a slight shine to them. These types of semi-frosted beads have an inside colour applied to them, that comes through the transparent bead. |
| Semi-Frosted Silver-Lined Similar to the semi-frosted inside colour beads, however they are lined with a silver colour instead, which reflects up through the colour of the bead giving them a lovely, reflective glow. |
| Silk/Satin This finish gives the beads a softer appearance, and can often be striated. They are usually semi-opaque with a muted reflective surface. |
| Silver-Lined Transparent beads that are silver-lined have a centre coated with a silver colour to give a mirror-like reflective appearance from the middle of the bead. This gives the beads an additional reflective shine. There are also different finishes that are applied over a silver-lined bead: |
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Silver-Lined Dyed Beads which are dyed colours (where the colour cannot be created any other way). They are usually bright or unusual colours, however over time the colours may fade or wear off. | Silver-Lined AB/Rainbow These transparent beads have the AB effect which is really enhanced due to the silver-lined mirror-like reflective quality running through the centre of the bead. |
| Special Plating These beads are plated with a special precious metal coating, such as 24kt gold, sterling silver, palladium or nickel. Usually sold in smaller quantites due to the price per gram. |
| Transparent Transparent beads allow light to pass easily through them, and can be completely clear or have colour applied to the glass. There are also different finishes that are applied over a transparent bead: |
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Transparent Dyed Transparent beads which have been dyed as the colour cannot be created in another way. They are usually bright or unusual colours, however over time the colours may fade or wear off. | Transparent Matte Transparent beads with a matte/frosted appearance, giving them a dull, flat surface. | Transparent Matte Luster Transparent beads with a matte/frosted appearance, with a dulled luster shine to them. | Transparent Matte AB/Rainbow Transparent beads with the colourful AB finish applied, which has then been matted to give a softer sheen to them. | Transparent Luster Transparent beads with an extra shiny glow to them. | Transparent AB/Rainbow Transparent beads with the colourful AB finish applied, and left shiny and reflective. |
| Translucent Translucent beads allow some, but not all, light to pass through them, creating a soft, diffused look. They're unlike transparent beads that allow light to pass through clearly or opaque beads that block light entirely. They give the beads a subtle glow, and can be used to mimic the look of natural or gemstone beads. |
