Seed Beads

Seed beads or rocailles are uniformly shaped, spheroidal beads ranging in size from under a millimeter to several millimeters. Seed bead is also a generic term for any small bead. Usually rounded in shape, seed beads are most commonly used for loom and off-loom bead weaving but they are also found in embroidery. They may be used for simple stringing, or as spacers between other beads in jewelry.

Larger seed beads are used in various fiber crafts for embellishment, or crochet with fiber or soft, flexible wire. The largest size of a seed bead is 1° (“one-aught”, sometimes written 1/0) and the smallest is 24°, about the size of a grain of sand. However, seed beads that are size 5° or 6° are usually called “pony beads” rather than “seed beads”; the next larger class of seed beads, from 3° to 4°, are usually called “trade beads”; the largest class of seed beads, including 1°, 2°, and anything larger, are usually referred to as “crow beads.” Most modern seed bead work is done using seed beads ranging in sizes 6°, 8°, 11°, 12°, 13° and 15°. Sizes 6°, 8° and 11° are often used in beaded knitting, as well as bead knitting. The extremely small class of seed beads smaller than 15° have not been in production since the 1890s and any in existence are usually considered antiques. Reference: Wikipedia

Very tiny seed beads are sometimes referred to as micro beads and should not be confused with the modern plastic micro beads found in cosmetics and other household products.