MIYUKI seed beads begin with transparent or opaque glass. The glass is treated in a variety of ways to take one base color and end with a limitless array of finished beads. Then the beads are etched with acid, painted, lined with metal, coated with metal, coated with other glass and shaped in a variety of ways.
By applying different finishes and coatings to these base colors of glass, they are able to produce thousands of different beads. With so many types of finishes, it’s easy to get confused. The following examples present the more common coatings and finishes of Miyuki seed beads.
Category of Color Group：
Transparent, opaque, silk and alabaster colors are four basic color groups of MIYUKI seed beads.
Transparent (T/TR/Trans): beads that are see through even when colored. With lighter colors, these beads look almost clear.
Opaque (OP): beads that are solid in color and therefore not transparent.
Silk: beads that are made from translucent low luster glass, having a striated or satin-like appearance.
Alabaster: beads that have a dense translucent milky white or tinted finish.
Category of Finishes and Coatings:
AB (Aurora Borealis)/Rainbow: glass that has an iridescent rainbow effect finish applied to the surface of the seed beads.
Silver-Lined (S/L): glass that has silver plating inside the hole of the beads, making a mirror-like reflective lining inside the hole.
Luster (Lust): glass that has a uniform, shiny finish on the surface of a transparent, translucent or opaque bead. Luster may be white, colored or even gold.
Metallic (Met): glass that has iris coating or bronzed luster glazed, giving the appearance of metal, typically bronze or gunmetal.
Galvanized (GA): glass that has silver plating on the surface of the beads.
Color-lined (C/L): glass that is coated with a separate & opaque color inside the hole of beads, more durable than surface painted beads.
Duracoat/Durable Coating (DC): glass that has a durable clear coating for outside dyed or galvanized coating, thicker and stronger coating than traditional one.
Frost/Matte (MAT): glass that is etched at a microscopic level, producing a dull finish that does not reflect light
Semi-matte (S-MA): glass that has a mixed glossy/matte finish, a little brighter than regular matte finish beads.
Picasso: glass that is mixed of vivid, bold coloring and shines to create a beautiful artistic bead.
Luminous: glass that can glow in the dark. Inside dyed colors, has strong durability against outside friction.
Inside Color (IC): dyed color inside the hole of beads, while “Dyed Color (DC)” on the surface of beads.
Special Plating: Special plated beads such as 24KT (Gold-lined), Palladium, Nickel, etc.
For more finishes and durability of MIYUKI seed beads, please see below Miyuki Chart:
Click “Color Sample” pictures to see more color samples in enlargement.
| Process | Feature | ex. | Color Sample | Durability | |||
| Seed Beads | Delica Beads | A | B | C | |||
| Transparent | Crystal or colored transparent. |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Opaque | Black, Chalk-White or colored opaque. |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Silverline | Silverplated into the hole of beads. | Silverline |  |  | – | – | – |
| Silverline dyed |  |  | – | X | X | ||
| Rainbow (AB coating) | Rainbow coating. | Transparent rainbow |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Opaque rainbow |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Inside color rainbow |  |  | – | 0 | X | ||
| Luster | Luster coating. | Transparent luster |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Opaque luster |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Glazed luster |  |  | 0 | – | 0 | ||
| Metallic | Iris coating or bronzed luster glazed. | Gunmetal |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iris |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Bronze |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Gold Luster | Gold luster glazed. |  |  | Depends on the color | |||
| Ceylon | Luster coating or inside coloring of opalescent beads. |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Inside Color | Dyed color inside the hole of beads. | Inside color |  |  | – | 0 | X |
| Dyed Color | Dyed color on the surface of beads. |  |  | – | X | X | |
| Galvanize | Silver plating on the surface of beads. |  |  | – | X | X | |
| Dyed |  |  | – | X | X | ||
| Duracoat | Durable Coating | Duracoat Galvanized |  |  | – | – | – |
| Duracoat Silverline Dyed |  |  | – | – | – | ||
| Duracoat Opaque Dyed |  |  | – | – | – | ||
| Silk | Silk White color with Satin finish. |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Special Plating | Special Plated beads as 24KT, Palladium, Nickel, etc. | Metal Plating on Nickel plated beads |  |  | 0 | – | 0 |
| Inside (Gold) |  |  | 0 | – | 0 | ||
| Inside( Copper) |  |  | – | X | – | ||
| Dyed | none |  | – | X | X | ||
| Frost(Matte) | Frosted beads. | Frost |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost rainbow |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Matte bronze |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Semi-Matte |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Special Finish | Silverline Glazed Beads | none |  | – | – | – | |
| Picasso | Picasso coating |  |  | – | – | – | |
| Special Coating | Czech Coating | Mrea, Magic Orchid etc. |  |  | – | – | – |
*How to see the durability information
This data is based on examination results and manufacturing history. It is not the absolute one, therefore it differs in individual use and condition. Please confirm it well before you use it.
| Mark | Meaning |
| A | Colors might change and/or fade due to bright sun or deterioration with time. |
| B | Colors rubbing off from friction or contact with skin acid. |
| C | Colors will alter or fade from dry-cleaning. |
| 0 | There is no problem in normal use. |
| – | There might be a problem in durability by individual use. |
| X | There is not strong durability, so attention is required for use. |
*Notice
Please do appropriate handling referring to the above information and the following notices when they are applied to textile goods or accessories that touch the skin directly.
- Some beads are dyed, galvanized or plated. The colors on the outer layers may come off, rubbed, or if soaked in the strong solvent.
- Silver lined or galvanized beads are oxidized while apply on certain fabrics that are acidic, they may decay or turn dark due to the chemical change. In order to avoid such case, neutralize your fabrics and threads before embroidering.
- Some dyed color beads might fade by the sunray.
MIYUKI seed beads are preferred worldwide for their consistent shape, size, and durability. With thousands of beads to choose from, they can be used for different designs, such as bracelets, earrings, necklaces, etc. If you are not sure which color you want, try to make first a small sample incorporating the colors you wish to use and study their effect. Also, you can refer to the free PDF MIYUKI Sample Cards for comparison.