Which Heishi pucks to choose?

The Heishi round pearl entered our lives as a designer on a summer day. But now it is found all year round on our DIY costume jewelry.
On your wrists, around your neck, on your ankle, at the end of your ears and even in your hair choose the Heishi bead!

1. What are Heishi beads?

Heishi beads are flat disc-like beads, they can be made of wood, gemstone,synthetic, shell, metal and many other materials.
Heishi means shell in Native American and has been used since ancient times for jewelry making in many parts of the world.

2. The different types of Heishi

Following the craze for this pearl star of the summer, it is now available in a wide variety of materials and colors. Which heishi should you choose to make your necklaces, bracelets, earrings ...? Among our list, there is bound to be the right type of heishi for you!

Polymeric Heishi

The colorful washers star of the summer.
Match with several complementary colors, in multicolor mode or mixed with gold metal washers and beads.
They have a matte appearance, soft to the touch.
They remind us of the candy necklaces we ate as children and have a nostalgic and retro feel.
You can of course wear Heishi beads all year round depending on the colors but you will more likely see them in the summer, on the beach at the neck of surfers, heishi necklaces are called surfer necklaces.
They are water and salt resistant but may lose some of their bright colors with UV rays after a while.
If you use elastic wire to make your jewelry, be aware that it becomes brittle with heat, sun, salt water and cosmetics.
If you want to wear your jewelry in the sea, it would be better to use fireline or turtle type nylon wire.
Find all our polymer clay heishis beads.
If you want to make your own heishi beads Karine shows you how in her neon polymer heishi tuto.

heishi gemstone

Malachite, African Turquoise, Aqua Terra Jasper... Natural materials are back in the spotlight, it's good timing! Natural stone round beads give character to your home-made creations. They have countless colors and sparkles, they are smooth or faceted. You can combine them with gold rondelles and put them in your bracelets, necklaces or earrings. They will be a sensation!
Find all our heishi style round beads in gemstone.

Heishi shell and mother of pearl

These Heishis are much heavier than the polymer clay ones.
Unlike synthetic heishis, they have an irregular appearance and natural colorsthat range from brown to off-white.
They are a bit shiny because they are polished.
They will go perfectly with a white dress or blouse.
These are beads that give a distinguished and sober look.
Adding gold beads will give you a more chic look, mix them with Heishis gemstones and you will get a rather bohemian look.
To create costume jewelry with Heishi shell or mother-of-pearl, use thick nylon thread or cabled thread.
Find all our heishis beads in shell and mother of pearl.

Heishi ceramic

They have the bright colors of polymer clay beads but a natural and irregular appearance.
You can use them like polymer clay heishis, on the beach or at the market with your rattan basket or at your cousin's wedding with colors matching your dress.
They are hard, heavy and shiny and will last longer than polymer clay washers.
Use thick nylon thread or wired thread.
Find all our ceramic heishis beads.

Coconut and wood heishi

Either natural or dyed, they are much lighter than the shell or ceramic heishis beads.
It is a good compromise if you are looking for a natural, colored and light material because you can't stand too heavy jewelry.
You can match them with gemstone beads if weight is not an issue for you.
You will get a hippie style, casual and trendy!
Elastic wire, nylon wire or cabled wire, you can use them all but avoid soft fibers like weaving wire or silk wire as there may be roughness on the beads that will catch the wire.
Find all our heishi beads in wood and coco.

Metal heishi

Heishis or gold, silver or rose gold rounds are most often used with other heishi beads to give a more chic look to the jewelry or with various beads as dividers or spacers.
They are heavy, so if you are using elastic thread do not use too much.
Find all our heishi beads in metal.

Heishi glass

Here we will talk about Miyuki Spacers.
They are not called Heishi beads, but they are discs that can be used as beads or dividers, hence the name. They are very small, 2.2 to 3 mm, and can be used to make fine and light jewelry.
You can wear them as an accumulation of a bracelet, alone, or with other small polymer clay heishis.
Find all our glass heishi beads.

Resin Heishi

They are rather large with their 6 mm or even 8 mm diameter. They have bright and uniform colors. They are rounded on the edges and have a shiny plastic look. You can use them for necklaces, necklaces or earrings as spacers.

Heishi plastic glitter

These are flat sequins that you can use as beads. They have very nice colors and are a bit shiny. They are very thin, so you'll need to string a good amount to get enough thickness. Mix with beads so you don't get tired of stringing them.
Find all our plastic heishis beads.

Now that you know everything about the different types of heishi beads, we invite you to take a look at our heishi tutorials!