bead
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Article
22 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Types
- Components
- Natural materials
- Synthetic materials
- Manufacturing
- Glassworking
- Specialized glass techniques and types
- Shapes
- Round
- Square or cubed
- Hair pipe beads
- Seed beads
- Place or period of origin
- Miscellaneous ethnic beads
- Uses
- History
- Surface patterns
- Magnetic beads
- See also
- References
- Further reading
thumb|upright=1|right|A selection of glass beads thumb|Merovingian bead thumb|Trade beads, 18th century thumb|Trade beads, 18th century
A bead is a small, decorative object that is formed in a variety of shapes and sizes of a material such as stone, bone, shell, glass, plastic, wood, or pearl and with a small hole for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under 1 mm to over 1 cm in diameter.