Delicas are a specific bead made by world celebrated Miyuki, Japan's oldest seed bead manufacturer. They are cylindrical in shape with a big hole that provides room for several passes of thread through each bead and are available in a vast array of colors and finishes.
Size 11 is the most popular size of the Delica beads with 944 different colors, finishes and treatments in the round cylinders in addition to another 55 in the hex cuts, which are hexagon shaped cylinders. The many variations are produced by particular glass treatments. There is basic transparent glass, basic opaque glass, and etched glass for a matte or semi-matte effect. Then there are the various colored glasses.
Additionally there is a variety of finishes or treatments. "Treatment" refers to something that is done on the surface of the glass and can be on the top, at times within the hole and sometimes one finish on the top and a different finish in the hole. Treatments may be made up of a clear "rainbow" or "aurora borealis" finish, a "pearl" finish, colored dyes, as well as various metal coatings including precious metals. Some Delica beads have more than one treatment applied to them in order to produce the desired effect.
Note that there are some durability issues with some of the finishes like the dyed or galvanized beads. The best shops should be able to provide you with the durability information.
Miyuki also makes a size 10 Delica that is slightly bigger, a size 8 that is much larger than the size 11, and a size 15 that is a lot smaller. The size 10 and 15 are quite new and as a result don't come in as many colors and finishes as the size 11.
The quality of Miyuki's Delica beads is very high and therefore they are more expensive. You should buy them from a reputable bead store that sells the authentic article. You should know that some dealers have been known to obtain cheaper, lower quality beads from another manufacturer and pawn them off as Delicas. Also be very wary if you are tempted to buy at an on-line auction.
If you are getting your beads to bead up a pattern that provides you with the Delica number, for example DB-010, you should have no problem because every color has a number. But if you are getting your beads by description you may have a problem, due to the fact that there is not a standard color description for each bead. The reason being that the Japanese description does not translate readily into English and the different importers each have their own interpretation. So it's always best to go by the DB- number.
True Delica beads are an excellent choice in any Loom, Peyote or Brick project because they are so uniform. They make any pattern line up perfectly and give a clean, crisp finish to your beadwork. There are fewer culls when you are working and therefore they are more cost effective than their price might indicate. And the color and finish range is fantastic!
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