Types Of Beads For Jewellery Making

Beading is such a fun and creative hobby! We show you the many types of beads available, including materials, drill hole options and shapes to choose from to help you plan and inspire your designs.

Choosing the material of your bead

The most popular bead materials are gemstones and metal. You can also choose from a range of other materials including glass, ceramic, porcelain, crystal, enamel and more...

At Kernowcraft we mainly focus on gemstone and metal beads.

Gemstone Beads

Use precious and semi-precious beads to create beautiful handmade jewellery, using natural gems available in many beautiful shapes and sizes.

Metal Beads

Metal beads are great for contemporary designs, choose from sterling silver, gold and plated beads for your designs in a range of shapes and textures.

What Are The Drill Options For Beads?

Fully Drilled Beads

Fully drilled beads are drilled all the way through the centre.

Always check the hole diameter on your beads to ensure it will fit with the threading material you wish to use.

Half drilled beads are drilled to a centre point, common to use with pearls and beads that are attached to pegs for earrings. Attach half drilled beads on to the peg findings with a little glue - we recommend Devcon 5 minute epoxy glue.

Top Drilled Beads

Top drilled beads are drilled vertically through the top of the bead, about quarter of the way down. You can insert a post into it and when suspended from a chain or earring the bead appears as a little droplet.

Head Drilled Beads

Head drilled beads are drilled horizontally through the top of the bead so that the bead itself hangs lower than the thread. This style of bead is great for creating simple designs using necklet wire, chain or flexrite wire. We recommend our range of briolette beads!

Spacer Beads

Spacer beads are smaller than your average bead, used to fill spaces in your designs and add texture and decoration.

Large Holed Charm Beads

Large holed beads are great for adding to charm bracelets, as well as using with thicker cords and wires.

Discover Our Favourite Shaped Beads...

The best thing about beading is that there are so many possibilities for unique designs! Beads come in a range of stunning shapes and sizes. Check out our range of shapes available in our gemstone range below...

Find all of these incredible shapes in our 'all gemstones category'

Round Beads >

Rice Shaped Beads >

Briolette Beads >

Rondelle Beads >

Coin Beads >

Heishi Beads >

Tube Beads >

Chip Beads >

Also in this section:

HAVE A QUESTION?

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our friendly team who will be more than happy to give you advice over email or on the phone.

You can learn more and find inspiration by visiting our Jewellery Making Tutorials, Jewellery Making Kits and YouTube Channel. Don't forget to follow us on social media and tag us in your designs on Instagram & Facebook, we would love to see!

What Our Customers Say...

April Luescher

Beautiful quality and colours - I rarely buy semi-precious stones anywhere else these days. Very helpful, superb service, speedy delivery. What more could anyone want?

Jenny Kirkwood

Love the service you get and appreciate the range of products on offer. I just used the alligator tape for the first time and found myself asking - where have you been all my life?

Joel Martin

Great, easy to navigate website with wonderful clear photographs. I look forward to receiving my order... it's going to be like Christmas!

Denise Mountain Pike

I recently ordered a couple of replacement stones from you and I'd just like to say how happy I am with my purchase and very impressed with the friendly helpful service you gave. Thank you very much.

Eve

The stones are excellent quality, and the special request I put in for dark citrines and paired malachites has been met perfectly. I am delighted with Kernowcraft, and will be back!

Janice Scragg

Your website is easy to use, your products excellent, nice friendly service on the phone and delivery quick, excellent. Thank you and well done Kernowcraft. Gold star!

Dorota Todd

I just wanted to say how impressed I am with the quality of pearls in my recent order! Thank you so much for taking time and matching them into pairs, it's very appreciated. Thank you and I am definitely going to buy at your store in the future.

Jill Hammersely

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to the team, particularly the ladies that helped me yesterday. Delivery took less than 24hrs, that's amazing. The quality of both cabochons and settings are stunning.

Lauren Jodie Piercy

Beautiful gemstones and a lot of choice. Running competitions and being interactive as well really sets them apart. Keep up the interesting content.

Hayley Meredith

I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing service from Kernowcraft. I find your website easy to navigate, products good quality and the delivery is second to none!

Kim Thomson

I have been using Kernowcraft since 1997 and still regularly recommend them to all my students.

Mihaela Ciubotaru

I am very happy with my products... it is wonderful to have a reliable source of materials and gems with a fast delivery and a lot of tips on how to use the tools we buy.

Lenna

Hi, just a quick email to thank you for my cross and chain - I love it. What a speedy service - ordered it yesterday and wearing it tonight. Thank you very much.

Frank Wilson

I have grown as a jewellery maker over the last year or so due to the encouragement the team have given me - they are all experienced jewellery makers or keen crafters. They have helped to guide me through my inventory, offered helpful tips and advice on all manner of silver working.

Lynn Carson

I bought the sand dollar charm to make a holiday bracelet. It’s really lovely, subtle and pretty detail. Perfect piece and exactly as described.

George Inglis

Great looking website, one of the best I've seen and used. Good search function, good range of products, good prices and great advice for jewellery makers of all abilities. All-in-all a great site and one I'll use again and again.

Catriona

Thank you for my recent order as I'm blown away by all the lovely pieces. I don't really know what to start work on first. Thank you for supplying top quality items on a easy to use website.

Sarah Tiley

Whenever I feel unsure as to where to purchase any stones or jewellery requirements I always go back to what is familiar. Thank you Kernowcraft for being true to your customers.

Claire Hall

Kernowcraft is my go to for all my gemstones! Their stones are the first ones I show when offering my clients stone choices and I can't recommend their customer service enough! This is a company that cares!

Helen

Just wanted to say thank you for picking such beautiful stones for my order. I'm halfway through making a ring for my daughter and the rose cut rainbow moonstones are particularly yummy. Thank you!

Frank Wilson

It is always a joy to deal with your Company and your hints and tips always help me to improve my skills and encourage my interests. Thank you for caring about us small enthusiastic silversmiths!

Deborah Roberts-Barter

I have sent a couple of email enquiries today, which have been really quickly answered. This customer service is what made me order with you straight away!

Catherine Warwick

Just received my order that I placed only yesterday. I wanted to say thank you! I am delighted with the choice of cabochon, setting and books. Now I have to read up on how to set it! FABULOUS SERVICE - Thank you!

Daniel Coe

The customer service I have received from you and the help has been second to none. If only all companies were so helpful and understanding that i am a complete newbie. The retail world would be a better place.

Lydia Farrow

Just to say that I have always had the best possible results for every order - however small and all your products are of excellent quality.

Helen Bowles

I felt compelled to write to you, as I'm so impressed with your quick service! I've been a Kernowcraft customer for years and have never had anything but reliable, efficient service from you.

Gloria Williams

I just came across your online shop and my first reaction was wow! It has everything i need to carry on with my jewellery making. I've seen things that i have been looking for and couldn't find in so many other shops!

Maggi Henman

I’ve just had my first order from you and I am so pleased with the fast delivery and the quality of the products. The satin cords and the findings really finished off my ceramic jewellery.

Jaquie

It can be difficult to order gemstones online - no such worries with Kernowcraft - you really do care about your products & clients and it shows.

Rhiannon Piper

The opal I received is absolutely amazing and just perfect. Its such a beautiful stone and I tried it with my wedding dress yesterday and its just set it off so well.

Claire

I just wanted to say a big thank you for the beautiful sapphires that arrived today. Hannah picked out just what I wanted and I’m over the moon with them.

Vivienne Sadler

Always too many temptations, but a joy to look through. Thank you for such good service. I have to be very strict with myself when I visit your website!

I added a special request for moonstones with strong blue/green flashes and received 3 briolettes which were exactly that - some of the prettiest moonstones I’ve seen. Thank you!

Marshal

Thank you to the lady who went to a great deal of trouble to find a very small opal that fitted a bezel cup. The work is now complete and looks very nice - my wife is delighted with the result.

Christine Wood

Just want to say a very big thank you for your quick delivery and excellent service. The stones I ordered arrived this morning, the quality and price are second to none. I was delighted with my purchase. Thank you so much.

Julia Schofield

I’ve used Kernowcraft as a supplier for findings and pearls since beginning my business 8 years ago, because I know I can absolutely rely on the quality I get. The service is pretty impeccable too.