11/0 – 2.1mm – 0.083 inch. a standard used in brick and peyote stitch projects. 10/0 – 2.3mm – 0.090 inch. 9/0 – 2.6mm – 0.102 inch. sizes below are larger general use beads many come in specialty shapes large easy to work with holes. and blend well with larger beads in jewelry making. 8/0 – 3.0mm – 0.118 inch.
There are a few other ways to measure bead sizes as well, including: Use a downloadable bead size chart for reference. Purchase a bead size reference card or this mm/stone gauge bead sizer. Estimate using the everyday household items we mentioned at the beginning of the guide; pennies, nickels, etc.
For standard beads, the number denoted in mm is the bead size (also diameter or the through hole length). For seed beads, a larger number is a smaller bead. Sometimes beads of the same size but different brands will have small differences in dimensions and still fall in the same size category.
Bead size chart
