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About Delica Beads
What are Miyuki Delica Beads?
The Miyuki Company in Japan manufacture Delica beads. The beads are distinct from seed beads in that they are cylindrical and have very thin flat walls (as opposed to the rounder, thicker walls of seed beads). They are perfect for off-loom stitches such as brick or peyote because of their uniformity and the large holes allow for multiple thread passes through each bead. Delicas give curved stitches such as a Spiral or Rosette a more angular shape and give a good definition to Herringbone weave projects.

Why choose Delicas?
Delicas are an excellent quality bead which means there is far less culling - making them more cost effective. The range of colours and finishes is breathtaking and some have even become collector's items.

How much do they cost?
Bead for bead, the average cost is about twice as much as most seed beads BUT Delicas are worth every penny. Because they are precision cylinders you have many more usable beads than in your average bag of seed beads. Purchased a few at a time, the prices will even out to close to what you would spend on similar seed beads.

Range of colour?
The range of Delica colours is legendary. Many variations are obtained by specific glass treatments eg beads can be colour-lined, silver-lined, etched, "rainbow" finished or given metallic coatings. It is possible to dye beads to a certain colour whilst others have more than one glass treatment applied to them for effect.

How durable are the finishes?
There are a few colours which MIGHT fade or change under unusual circumstances (such as being left in direct sunlight for prolonged periods). I do not consider this to be an issue with normal usage. There are also a few colours that Miyuki specifically state should not be dry-cleaned. As a general rule I advise not to dry-clean Delicas at all. (If you need more specific information on this please contact me).