Delica bead questions?????
Jann Grimmes
Hello,
I am very interested in bead weaving with Delica beads. First I have to buy
some. I was overwhelmed with all the choices. I need some questions
answered before ordering any beads. With seed beads it is easy, silver
lined or transparent. Would someone please explain what these terms mean as
applied to descriptions to Delica beads? I have used the whole name with a
color with some for better understanding of some of the descriptive terms
used in a bead catalog on-line.
sometimes there is just a name like Blue Iris - what would this look like?
Metallic -inside/outside? opaque?
Steel - color or real steel
Silver lined - is this clear colored glass with silver lining? are these
the ones that will tarnish with age?
Crystal luster -
Lined pale yellow - lined with what? clear colored glass?
Transparent - no lining at all?
Transparent luster - are these lined with luster? or clear with pearl like
finish?
Dyed Transparent - clear glass dyed or what?
Dyed silver lined -
Dyed opaque -
Lined crystal pale lavender - is this clear, lined with lavender, with a
pearl luster finish?
Crystal - isn't this the same as transparent, if not why not?
Galvanized - is this less likely to tarnish or does it really look less
shiny silver than silver lined?
Semi-matte - medium shine?
Matte Transparent -
Matte Opaque -
Dyed Matte Transparent -
Sparkling - ?
What about beads called antiques? What terms are applied to these?
I really appreciate your time and help.
Jann Grimes
-- Please remove one "M" in the name Grimes when replying with e-mail.
meijhana
FireMountain Gems has a catalog with a selection of delicas, and they also sell
a card with a small (I think 4 or 5 strung delicas per color) sample card for
$4 or $5. I would check them out, the best way to understand is to see.
Mary
Jann Grimmes wrote:
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'---''(_/--' `-'\_)
---
Mary
mha...@mindless.com
meij...@jps.net
beading...@xlstar.com
"Jann Grimmes" <JANN_G...@prodigy.net> writes:
>Hello,
>I am very interested in bead weaving with Delica beads. First I have to buy
>some. I was overwhelmed with all the choices. I need some questions
>answered before ordering any beads. With seed beads it is easy, silver
>lined or transparent.
Careful! You're about to become addicted! <grin> I'll take a stab at these - I've
got the Delica sample cards, so I've seen all the available colors up close. I was
twisting the card every which way on some of them at one point, trying to tell if
the beads were transparent or not, for a particular color - hubby kept giving me
strange looks as I peered and held the card at different angles to the light... ;->
Most of these finished are also available in regular seed beads, although they may
be called something else... If you have questions about a specific color, you can
send me an e-mail and I'll be glad to look it up on my card and try and describe
it for you. The thing to remember is that as far as I know, the color descriptions
are not specificied by the company that makes Delicas, they are provided by the
different companies sellling them. Because of this, there is no "standard" name for
the colors, and the descriptions are the company's best attempt to try and tell
you what the beads look like in words.
>sometimes there is just a name like Blue Iris - what would this look like?
I don't really know how to describe Iris beads. To me, they all have a somewhat
blue sheen. I've always thought of them as having a blue aurora borealis finish. I
know that regular seed beads also come in an iris finish, so maybe you could find
some of those locally to see what it looks like. It also reminds me a little of the
rainbow effect you see across oil in water... I've only seen iris beads in blue, green
and purple, and I've always thought they were so close in shade as to be the same
color. Just my opinion, of course... Many people have suggested Iris beads as an
alternative to silver-lined, as the color is inherent to the glass and won't fade, but
as I've only seen them in the darker colors, I haven't tried this myself.
>Metallic -inside/outside? opaque?
I always thought that metallics were the same as a galvanized finish. The finish is
applied after the beads are made, and with some of us acidic types, or with hard
wear (ie. a bracelet that bangs against stuff all the time,) the finish can wear off.
They are opaque, and the finish is on the outside of the bead.
>Steel - color or real steel
Steel color. From what I've heard, REAL steel seed beads are all antique and very
hard to find. Often also called "gunmetal" finish. I honestly don't know if this is a
finish or a color of glass that permeates the bead. I haven't had any of mine wear
off, so if it is a finish, it's a very durable one.
>Silver lined - is this clear colored glass with silver lining? are these
>the ones that will tarnish with age?
Yes - these are as the name states. I don't think tarnish is the correct term, and I
can't say from experience, but many beaders say that all silver-lined beads will
fade in sunlight, so if you use them you should be careful to store them away from
the light. I CAN say from experience that my silver-lined gold amulet bag has not
faded yet, and it's been about a year since I made it. I haven't taken any special
precautions with it - in fact it's usually on display on my dresser so I can enjoy it
even when I'm not wearing it. (I love the silver-lined gold Delicas - DB-042 - they're
my absolute fave!)
>Crystal luster -
Not really sure about this one... might be a pearly aurora borealis...
>Lined pale yellow - lined with what? clear colored glass?
These are a translucent bead which are lined with another colored glass. I'm not
sure if the lining is translucent or opaque. The color combinations they have are
interesting. If there is only one color listed, it is clear glass with the color being the
inner layer. If two colors are listed, the first is usually the outer layer, with the
second color being the inner layer.
>Transparent - no lining at all?
Same as transparent seeds...
>Transparent luster - are these lined with luster? or clear with pearl like
>finish?
I think these are the pearlescent finished, but not sure. All of the "pearly" beads
I've seen have been opaque. This could also be referring to the aurora borealis
finish, I suppose...
>Dyed Transparent - clear glass dyed or what?
>Dyed silver lined -
>Dyed opaque -
All dyed beads have a dyed finish to them. I'm not sure what the difference is
between these and other finishes, except that dyed beads can fade/wear off
over time. Some are more durable then others. For example, I've been using
DB-791 on a current project, and while the beads have been turning my fingers
red, I haven't noticed a change in the color on the beads. On the other hand, in
another project, one of the dyed beads wore off with very little handling and the
base color (plain cream) started showing through. The transparent dyed beads
are a little less transparent than regular transparents. I'm not sure of the durability,
as I imagine that these would have to have a very light coating of the dye in order
to stap transparent.
>Lined crystal pale lavender - is this clear, lined with lavender, with a
>pearl luster finish?
Not sure- if you can give me the number, I'll check.
>Crystal - isn't this the same as transparent, if not why not?
I wonder if this is the same finish as aurora borealis in regular seeds???
>Galvanized - is this less likely to tarnish or does it really look less
>shiny silver than silver lined?
Galvanized is much more "metallic" looking, IMO. As I said earlier, it can wear
off with time. I have yet to see any of my Delicas "tarnish," although I have
had to wash items as they can get dirty with skin oils just like any jewelry. I think
the silver-lined beads are "shinier" than the galvanized. I think it's because the
light is refracted more as it passes *through* the bead after bouncing off the
silver-lining, whereas with galvanized, it just bounces off the surface of the bead.
I can't remember my high school physics, but doesn't light "sparkle" more if it
passes through something first?
>Semi-matte - medium shine?
Again, I'd need to look at a specific number. One of the problems with the Delica
sample cards is they only have the color numbers and no descriptions.
>Matte Transparent -
>Matte Opaque -
Transparent and Opaque beads that have been treated with an acidic substance. It
"pits" the beads and gives them a less shiny look. Not exactly frosted. They also
have a less "glasslike" feel to them - more gritty.
>Dyed Matte Transparent -
I imagine they took one of the matte transparents and applied a dye to them as
above.
>Sparkling - ?
Not sure. Perhaps the same as "crystal"?
>What about beads called antiques? What terms are applied to these?
If you are talking of "antiques" in relation to the cylindrical seed beads, "Antiques"
is the name often given to the beads produced by the Toho company. The
Miyuki company produces Delicas. The beads themselves are similar in size and
shape, but from what I understand Toho has some different colors than Miyuki.
This can be confusing, as many beaders call all Japanese cylinder beads "Delicas"
and others call them "Antiques," no matter where the beads came from. So when
you are looking for a particular color, you may think it's a Miyuki Delica, when it
is actually a Toho Antique! (Clear as mud??? ;->)
You also have to be careful, because there are still beads available that were
made the last time beads were popular in Europe. These beads really ARE
antiques. Most of the smaller beads, such as size 15 and smaller, are antique
- no company produces them today.
As I said, let me know if you have any questions about specific Delica colors,
and I'll try to answer them... I don't have any Toho Antiques, so I can't answer
questions about those... Hopefully this is helpful - like I said, there isn't really
a standard for these so they're kind of hard to describe...
Mary J. Winters-Meyer
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Beading Banshee
Handcrafted Bead Art and Designs
beading...@xlstar.com
http://www.freeyellow.com/members/beading-banshee/
buckleya
Jann,
check out www.coppercoyote.com and click on "11/0 and 6/0
Japanese Seed Beads". This gets you to a page with samples and
descriptions of delicas .
Andrea
Jann Grimmes <JANN_G...@prodigy.net> wrote in article
<01bd0406$cd75b480$6a24edcc@default>...
> Hello,
> I am very interested in bead weaving with Delica beads. First I
have to buy
> some. I was overwhelmed with all the choices. I need some
questions
> answered before ordering any beads. With seed beads it is easy,
silver
Indian Summer
beading...@xlstar.com wrote in article
<66hre9$ihe$1...@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>...
> "Jann Grimmes" <JANN_G...@prodigy.net> writes:
> >sometimes there is just a name like Blue Iris - what would this look
like?
>
> I don't really know how to describe Iris beads. To me, they all have a
somewhat
> blue sheen. I've always thought of them as having a blue aurora borealis
finish. I
> know that regular seed beads also come in an iris finish, so maybe you
could find
> some of those locally to see what it looks like. It also reminds me a
little of the
> rainbow effect you see across oil in water...
Perfect analogy!!!
> I've only seen iris beads in blue, green
> and purple, and I've always thought they were so close in shade as to be
the same
> color. Just my opinion, of course... Many people have suggested Iris
beads as an
> alternative to silver-lined, as the color is inherent to the glass and
won't fade, but
> as I've only seen them in the darker colors, I haven't tried this myself.
I'm not sure, but I think the iridescent (sp?) finish is just that, a
finish, and not inherent to the glass. I haven't known an iris bead to
fade, but I have seen scratches through the finish on some. But I'm
speaking generally, not specifically about the Delicas and their ilk.
> >Lined pale yellow - lined with what? clear colored glass?
>
> These are a translucent bead which are lined with another colored glass.
I'm not
> sure if the lining is translucent or opaque. The color combinations they
have are
> interesting. If there is only one color listed, it is clear glass with
the color being the
> inner layer. If two colors are listed, the first is usually the outer
layer, with the
> second color being the inner layer.
Again, I don't know for sure, but I think many of these are, in fact,
simply lined with dyes/paints, or whatever the manufacturer uses, and that
that's one of the reasons the colors in lined beads fade more easily,
because the color isn't actually part of the glass. I've dipped a few of
these guys in Dip 'n' Etch, and the color lining disappeared entirely.
> If you are talking of "antiques" in relation to the cylindrical seed
beads, "Antiques"
> is the name often given to the beads produced by the Toho company. The
> Miyuki company produces Delicas. The beads themselves are similar in size
and
> shape, but from what I understand Toho has some different colors than
Miyuki.
> This can be confusing, as many beaders call all Japanese cylinder beads
"Delicas"
> and others call them "Antiques," no matter where the beads came from. So
when
> you are looking for a particular color, you may think it's a Miyuki
Delica, when it
> is actually a Toho Antique! (Clear as mud??? ;->)
Well said. And you might want to be careful about mixing the two brands in
one project depending on what you're doing, because I think it's the
Antiques that are actually a little larger and can throw off the spacing
(and make unexpected & unwanted burps & bulges) of your work. I think this
would be especially noticeable on a loomed piece. Also, many retailers and
catalogs will put an A (for Antiques) or a D (for Delicas) in front of the
item number, so you can use that as a way of knowing what you're getting.
It takes a while, but you'll get the hang of it. Just keep asking those
questions!
And by the way, not as thorough as Mary's explanations, but a site that
will give you some other useful terminology is the Bead Fairies.
Specifically, there's a glossary at
http://www.mcs.net/~simone/fairies/glossary.htm
Good luck & have fun!!!!
Anne
Jann Grimmes
Thank you for all the wonderful replies, on the board and the e-mail. I
feel I at least know what I am looking for now. Also found a somewhat local
store (25 miles) that carries Delica beads. It was a bead store I had not
heard of before in the area. Looked at all the sites too and found some new
inspiration. Thanks again, Jann
--
Please remove one "M" in the name Grimes when replying with e-mail.
Jann Grimmes <JANN_G...@prodigy.net> wrote in article
<01bd0406$cd75b480$6a24edcc@default>...
Cheryl Santos
Jann, Where are you getting them from. I am a new beader also and I
need a resource of this Delica bead also.
Does the Delica mean they are the real Japanese beads?
beading...@xlstar.com
"Indian Summer" <inds...@fone.net> writes:
>beading...@xlstar.com wrote in article
>>Iris beads also reminds me a little of the
>> rainbow effect you see across oil in water...
>
Thanks - sometimes I come up with a good one - most of the time, people look at
me like I'm nuts and I have to try again! ;->
>I'm not sure, but I think the iridescent (sp?) finish is just that, a
>finish, and not inherent to the glass. I haven't known an iris bead to
>fade, but I have seen scratches through the finish on some. But I'm
>speaking generally, not specifically about the Delicas and their ilk.
You could be right - I was just passing along information I had heard from others.
As I said, I haven't really used Iris beads, either in seeds or Delicas, so I can't
speak from experience...
>> >Lined pale yellow - lined with what? clear colored glass?
>>
>> These are a translucent bead which are lined with another colored glass.
>
>Again, I don't know for sure, but I think many of these are, in fact,
>simply lined with dyes/paints, or whatever the manufacturer uses, and that
>that's one of the reasons the colors in lined beads fade more easily,
>because the color isn't actually part of the glass. I've dipped a few of
>these guys in Dip 'n' Etch, and the color lining disappeared entirely.
Again, you could be correct - I was applying the info from larger color-lined beads.
I think larger beads DO have a separate layer of glass, but then again, I could have
made an incorrect assumption about what I was reading...I could see why with
the Delicas, it would be kinda difficult to do - of course, I find what they CAN do
incredible enough as it is! So the color-lined beads are probably lined in the same
manner as silver-lined beads, I would guess. And since the silver-lined beads can
fade, then so could the color-lined... makes sense...
>Well said. And you might want to be careful about mixing the two brands in
>one project depending on what you're doing, because I think it's the
>Antiques that are actually a little larger and can throw off the spacing
Didn't know that - thanks for the info! I haven't actually looked into the Antiques
yet, as I haven't even begun to get tired of the Delica colors! When I do, though,
I'll make sure to be careful not to mix them unless I want that effect!
TTYL!
Judy Anderson
Long ago and far away, beading...@xlstar.com picked up a wet clay tablet and scribed:
<snip>
>>I'm not sure, but I think the iridescent (sp?) finish is just that, a
>>finish, and not inherent to the glass. I haven't known an iris bead to
>>fade, but I have seen scratches through the finish on some. But I'm
>>speaking generally, not specifically about the Delicas and their ilk.
>
>You could be right - I was just passing along information I had heard from
> others. As I said, I haven't really used Iris beads, either in seeds or Delicas, so I
> can't speak from experience...
>
list on their web page of the relative colorfastness and durability of the
various Delica colors and finishes.
Jann Grimes
Haven't bought any yet, needed to know what kind first. Perhaps others can
post their favorite suppliers? Jann
--
Please remove the "removethis" from my e-mail address when replying.
Cheryl Santos <ro...@ma.ultranet.com> wrote in article
<348e1997...@news.ma.ultranet.com>...
catherine lampole
In article <01bd04a5$45329620$5d24edcc@default>,
Beadfreak
You can get very nice sample Delica bead cards from both Caravan Beads and
General Beads.