What do you think the earliest recorded use of beads is ‚ is your first thought perhaps beadwork created by the Egyptians? Yes, there certainly were a lot of beaded items in Egyptian times, but beadwork has been found dating back to the Stone Age (the Upper Paleolithic period). Beads were added to rudimentary clothing; these beads were made of shells and ivory. Of course, the beads weren’t as finely crafted as later beads, but still, they were beads. So even in caveman times, men and women were interested in improving their clothing and appearance with the use of beads.

The beads that we tend to think of as traditional beadwork are called seed beads ‚ because of their small size they resemble seeds. These beads were used in early beadwork ‚ the work of the Egyptians.

The Egyptians used a type of bead called faience beads. Our seed beads today are made of glass, but Egyptians were using beads long before the invention of glass. Their faience beads were made from quartz particles fused together. A glaze was applied over the quartz. The beads were then woven or strung into a variety of jewelry and clothing.

Beaded necklaces were found in the tomb of King Tut. Other beaded items in his tomb were a pair of slippers he perhaps wore as a child and a hassock. It’s unusual for ancient beadwork to survive since it was strung on cords made from leather and cloth, which tend to disintegrate with age. We are fortunate to have these few examples to give us a perspective on the history of Egyptian beading.

Some religious texts from India refer to beads being woven into hair and into horse’s tails. These references were recorded around the 9th century BC. And beads were also widely used throughout Asia in ancient times. There were beaded items found in temples in Japan that date back to 800 A.D.

Early beads were fashioned from shells, ivory and stone. Early Egyptians valued the beads according to the stone that was used to create the beads. Different stones were thought to have different properties.

Lapis Lazuli, a beautiful blue stone, was believed to protect the wearer’s health. This stone was often fashioned into beads, as were carnelian, feldspar, amethyst, turquoise and jasper ‚ many of the same stones we use today.

Glass was introduced as a component of beads around 1480, when Venice began drawing glass tubes and turning them into beads. Once the technology for pulling glass tubes was invented, it was easy to suddenly produce thousands of beads, all uniform in size, color and shape.

Modern jewelry and beading certainly benefits from the advances made in the production of beads, but there’s no doubt that even today, an individually handcrafted bead can be the star attraction of any beading piece.

Felicity Walker

  Most cities have a trendy local bead store with a great staff.  In fact, it is not uncommon to stop by and see several customers sitting around a well lit table working on their own pieces.  These people are usually friendly and fun, and best of all; they can answer any question you might have.  Beading is great; you just have to know where to start. 

Beading is a great hobby.  And most of us find ourselves inexplicably drawn to that aisle of the craft store whether we are a beader or not.  There are just so many pretty shiny little gems and treasures hidden there that it’s hard to pull yourself away.  We completely understand; we’ve been there.  But if you are starting your own obsession it can be very easy to jump off the deep end and arrive home with a big bag of toys that while beautiful don’t do you any good.

 When you use Delicas the fact that each on is so exactly like all the others makes for a very crisp polished look on projects.  The beads will actually “click” into place as you work them.  Also they are available in such a variety of colors and finishes that it is easy to give your project the exact look you are after. 

What about the cost factor?  On average you will pay about double for Delica beads as you would for regular seed beads.  Some varieties will be a bit higher or lower depending on color or glass technique involved. 

So, is it worth it?  Most beaders would answer that with a resounding yes.  Even though the cost is a little higher, the finished product is totally worth it.  You will put so much time and effort into your finished works, that why not do every thing you can to make it as beautiful as possible.  In the end this is a product that you have to work in your own hands to truly appreciate the Delica difference. 

In the world of beading there are just simply more options than you could ever keep up with.  However, it seems that no matter where you go, one name just keeps popping up again and again, Delicas.  Delicas are a specific brand of seed bead that are made by the Miyuki Company in

So what is a Delica?  We already told you where it comes from, but there is much more that makes a Delica special.  For starters, while they are the same approximate size and shape of a regular seed bead the difference is in the details.  Delicas are very uniform in their size and shape without all the irregularities found in other seed beads.  Also they have a slightly longer tube with thinner walls, resulting in a bigger hole and making it much easier to pass a needle through multiple times.