Miyuki beads: a complete guide to seed bead jewelry

Miyuki beads fascinate beginners and expert designers alike. But when faced with hundreds of references, sizes in 6/0, 8/0, 11/0 or 15/0, and names like Delica, Bugle or Tila, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. This guide is here to change that.

Here, you'll find the essentials: the different types of Miyuki Japanese beads, their sizes deciphered, the techniques adapted to each, a guide to colors and effects, and the quantities needed for your projects.

Who is Miyuki? The Japanese brand behind your favorite beads

Miyuki is a Japanese manufacturer of glass beads, renowned worldwide for the quality and consistency of its products. It's this rigor that makes it the number-one choice of embroiderers, weavers and jewelry designers the world over.

The brand offers several families: the essential Delica, classic rocailles, Bugles, Tila Beads, and original shapes (cubes, magatamas, triangles, mini-drops...). At Perles & Co, you'll find +4,000 references to satisfy all your creative desires!

👉 Curious about the story behind these beads? Read our article on the subject!

The different types of Miyuki beads

• Miyuki Delica: the star of weaving

Miyuki Delica beads are cylindrical beads. Their regular shape, large hole and standardized height make them ideal for needle weaving (peyote, brick stitch) and loom weaving. The result: a flat, smooth and perfectly even weave.

Delica beads are available in several sizes: 8/0, 10/0, 11/0 and 15/0. The 11/0 is by far the most widely used and referenced.

• Miyuki rocailles: versatile and accessible

Miyuki rocailles are round pearls, the classic shape of the rocailles pearl. Slightly less regular than Delica, they are highly versatile: for stringing, weaving, embroidery and decoration. Available in sizes 2/0, 6/0, 8/0, 11/0 and 15/0. Special versions are also available: Rococo, Baroque, Hex Cut (faceted).

• Miyuki Bugles: slender tubes

Bugles are long tubular beads. Perfect for bangs, embroidery and necklaces with graphic effects. Miyuki offers straight Bugles, Twist Bugles and thinner Slender Bugles. They are often used as accents, mixed with rocailles.

• Miyuki Tila Beads: the double hole

Miyuki Tila Beads are flat rectangular beads with two holes. This feature opens up unique weaving possibilities, notably for creating architectural bracelets and highly structured patterns. They are available in 3 ranges: Tila Beads, Half Tila and Quarter Tila.

• Original Miyuki shapes

The brand also offers lesser-known but equally addictive shapes:

• • Miyuki Cubes: square beads, ideal for geometric weaving
  • Magatamas and Long Magatamas: drop-shaped beads with an off-center hole, perfect for fringes
  • Mini-drops: small drops for textured effects
  • Miyuki Triangles: for original assemblies
  • Rectangle Beads: elongated beads for structured creations

Miyuki sizes explained

The numbering system may seem counter-intuitive: the larger the number, the smaller the bead. An inheritance from the old English measurements ("aught").

11/0 is the reference size for weaving. Most of the grids available on the market are created for Miyuki Delica 11/0.

👉 For full details of all ranges: Miyuki bead shapes and sizes

Delica vs Rocaille: what's the difference?

This is THE question on everyone's mind. In practical terms:

• Shape: Delica = cylindrical / Rocaille = round
• Regularity: Delica is more calibrated, with a proportionally larger hole.
• Weave rendering: with Delica, the weave is flatter and the beads fit together perfectly. With rocailles, the fabric has a more organic, slightly domed appearance.
• Versatility: rocaille can be used in many different techniques (threading, crochet, bead knitting, etc.).
• Quantity: for the same weight (e.g. 8 g), there are more beads in a Delica bag, as they are denser.

Miyuki techniques: which bead for which creation?

• Loom weaving

The loom is often recommended for beginners. Wires are stretched over the loom, then beads are passed row by row with a weft thread. The result: beaded bracelets and bands with precise graphic motifs.

• • Recommended beads: rocailles 11/0 or Delica 11/0
  • Level: ⭐ Beginner

👉 Learn to weave on a loom

• Peyote weaving

Peyote weaving is a needle-based technique in which the beads interlock in a staggered pattern, like the cells of a honeycomb. There is even peyote, odd peyote and circular peyote (for bangles and rings).

• • Recommended beads: Delica 11/0 for optimum results (smoother and more regular than with rocailles).
  • Level: ⭐⭐ Intermediate

👉 Learn even peyote weaving

• Brick Stitch weaving

In Brick Stitch , beads are lined up side by side, like bricks on a wall. This is the queen technique for free-form earrings, brooches and pendants, as it allows for easy increases and decreases.

• • Recommended beads: Delica 11/0 for a clean look
  • Difference from peyote: in brick stitch, beads are aligned side by side; in peyote, they fit together in a staggered pattern
  • Level: ⭐⭐ Intermediate

👉 Learn brick stitch / With increases and reductions

• Square Stitch and other techniques

Square Stitch produces a result visually similar to fabric obtained on the loom, but is worked entirely with a needle. Ideal if you don't have a loom but want to reproduce graphic grids.

There's also bead embroidery on fabric or backing, where 11/0 and 15/0 rocailles are king, and spiral beading, a threading technique that often uses two sizes of rocailles in harmony.

Where should you start, depending on your level?

You don't have to master everything at once. Here's the most logical path, depending on where you are.

If you're a complete beginner :

Start with the loom: it's the most visual and quickest technique to master. You'll see concrete results from the very first session.

• Choose rocailles or Delica 11/0 in 2-3 colors maximum.
• Choose opaque colors: easier to read, easier to count
• Start with a simple geometric bracelet
• Allow 5 to 8 g per color

You already have a few creations under your belt:

The peyote pair is your natural next step. The logic is simple once you get the hang of it, and the pattern possibilities are endless.

• Switch to Delica 11/0: the result is much sharper than with rocailles.
• Download a blank peyote grid and create your first patterns
• Then explore circular peyote for rings and bangles.

If you're an experienced designer :

Free-form brick stitch and Tila Beads are for you. These techniques allow for architectural creations, sculpted earrings and assemblies you won't see anywhere else.

• Dare to use galvanized Duracoat finishes for premium pieces
• Combine several techniques in a single piece
• Explore 15/0 for ultra-fine details worthy of jewelry embroidery

Classic beginner's mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Even with good beads and good intentions, certain pitfalls come up time and time again. Knowing them in advance can save you precious time.

❌ Buying too few beads of the same color: this is mistake number one. Lots can vary slightly from one manufacture to another. If you run out of a color during the course of a project, you risk not finding exactly the same shade. Always buy 20% more than the estimate.

❌ Choose rocailles for a first peyote weave: rocailles give a more irregular result that's harder to read on a grid. For your first attempts at peyote or brick stitch, Delica 11/0 are really a must. Consistency makes all the difference.

❌ Using a thread that's too thick: a thread that's too thick won't pass through the hole of a Delica 11/0 twice, yet weaving often requires ironing several times. Find out about the right diameter before you start 👉 Which thread and needle to choose for bead weaving?

❌ Neglect thread tension: too loose a tension = a soft, irregular weave. Too strong a tension = a fabric that curls. Tension regularity is acquired with practice, but starting slowly and conscientiously already makes a real difference.

❌ Confusing Duracoat and non-Duracoat finishes: some beautiful colors on display fade quickly when worn. For everyday jewelry, always check whether the bead carries the Duracoat or Permanent Finish label before buying.

Miyuki pearl quantities for your projects

This is often the big question: how many pearls should I buy? Here are reference estimates in Delica 11/0 (data vary according to finish and weave density).

Bracelets :

Earrings :

Other projects :

Practical tip: always buy slightly more than you need for each color. Batches may vary slightly from one production to another, and it's better to have a small stock than to run out during creation.

For larger projects, 100 g bags of Miyuki Delica 11/0 are available at sliding-scale prices, perfect for regular designers or pros.

The Miyuki color chart and color effects

• The Miyuki reference system

Each Miyuki bead has a unique reference code. For Delica 11/0, it starts with DB followed by 4 digits (e.g. DB-1832 = Galvanized Gold). For Delica 10/0, the prefix is DBM.

Good news: the color name is identical between a Delica and a rocaille of the same shade, even if the numerical code differs.

• The main finishes

• Duracoat: guaranteed durability

The Duracoat label means that Miyuki has applied a protective varnish to increase color durability. This is particularly important for galvanized finishes and tinted colors, which can fade with time, perspiration or water.

If you're designing jewelry to be worn on a daily basis, Duracoat and Permanent Finish are the colors of choice.

• The physical color chart: an indispensable tool

For accurate color selection, nothing beats the Miyuki physical color chart. Several versions are available: 11/0 seed beads, multi-size beads, Delica beads, Duracoat beads... These cards allow you to see the real colors and match them without any surprises.