Bead Recommendation

[Dancin'~Diva]

Hi.

could someone please tell me what the best beads to use are for all beadwork like loom and lazy stitch?

I've been given some, and they are perfect! all uniform and good colour,! but i do not have enough for what i want to do now, like a complete new beaded set, Belt, leggings, hair ties, etc etc..
I have just purchased some from e-bay, which i was lead to believe were a good make, Rocaille's i think they are, but they are absolutely rubbish to say the least. They look like the sweepings from the floor to be honest so i am not at all happy.

I need to know of a real good supplier, money is no object as they are going to be ordered in bulk and shipped to the UK for my own personal use, not to be rebagged and sold for a profit which i see a lot of in the UK.
Please can someone help this damsel in distress
Me x

[OLChemist]

Personally, I favor Czech's. I like the oval shape and the aspect ratio. However, they are not particularly uniform. They have to be culled for loomwork. And some colors are always a mess.

If you want uniform with big holes then try Delicia's. They are more square and have a different apect ratio. They come in a mind boggling array of colors. However, be aware many of these colors are dyed or painted and can be less colorfast .

As for a supplier, since almost all beads are imported into the USA buying them here and shipping them across another ocean, seems a bit wasteful.

Jablonex International Website:

http://www.jablonexgroup.com/en/index.php

Toho Beads

http://www.tohobeads.net/

Miyuki Beads

http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/

All of these have links to distrubutors (admittedly, Jablonex's website takes some digging). Hopefully you'll find some store near you where you can visit and see your beads before purchase.

[Czechy]

What beads to get depend on the look you want. You will find the Czech beads to be more economical, especially if you buy in bulk, by the kilo or half kilo. They are fairly even most of the time but once in a while you can get some that are wildly irregular and thus a royal pain to work with. The Japanese beads are more expensive but as OLChemist says, they are very even, have large holes and come in huge array of colors. I would avoid beads from China since these tend to be of low quality.

Beads are heavy so you will be better off finding sources in Europe to cut down on your shipping costs. There are web sites of Indian hobbyist groups in Europe who might be able to steer you toward some good suppliers. Good luck!

[Dancin'~Diva]

Thank you OLChemist and Czechy for the guidance, the beads that i have brought were czech beads, in the picture they look good and uniform, but was a different story once i received them.
Still, thank you for the links.

[cherokeemom06]

I love Dynamites from Fire Mountain. They are Japanese beads so they are nice and uniform but they are way less expensive than the Delicas that everyone raves over. I don't like Delicas to be honest. They are too square for my taste.