Heishi Beads vs Seed Beads: What's the Difference?

What's the Difference Between Heishi Beads and Seed Beads?

Heishi beads are flat discs with a single hole through the center, usually cut from polymer clay, shell, or stone. Seed beads are small, rounded glass beads made in uniform sizes, including Miyuki's round, Delica, and two-hole Tila styles. The shapes drape differently on the wrist and call for different stringing approaches.

Both show up constantly in the same bracelet-making supply aisle, which is exactly why shoppers mix them up. One is a flat disc shape with roots in Southwestern jewelry. The other is a whole family of small glass beads, round and tile alike, most of it made by a handful of Japanese and Czech manufacturers. Here's how to tell them apart and pick the right one for what you're making.

What Are Heishi Beads Made Of?

Flat discs, one hole, old roots.

Heishi beads trace back to Southwestern Pueblo jewelry traditions, where artisans hand-cut and polished shell and stone into thin discs strung into necklaces long before craft stores existed.¹ The heishi sold in most bead shops and craft kits today is almost always polymer clay, shaped into the same flat disc profile at a fraction of the cost, with a single hole drilled straight through the center. That one hole means heishi beads sit face-to-face when strung, stacking into a smooth, slightly scalloped line that lies close against the skin rather than rolling around the wrist.

What Are Seed Beads, and What Types Does Miyuki Make?

Seed beads are small, rounded glass beads manufactured in consistent sizes, sold by a handful of major producers out of the Czech Republic and Japan.² Miyuki is one of the best known Japanese manufacturers, and its catalogue covers more than one bead shape.

Round seed beads are the classic shape: tiny glass spheres sized by number, with smaller numbers meaning bigger beads. Delica beads are uniform glass cylinders, cut for even bead weaving and loom patterns where consistency matters more than sparkle. Tila beads are flat glass squares with two small parallel holes, built so a tile sits flush and non-spinning in woven designs, rather than twisting out of line. Retailers like Lima Beads carry Miyuki's full range of these shapes for crafters sourcing beyond a starter kit.³ Mack & Rex sells Miyuki's Tila beads as a retailer, not the company that manufactures them; Tila and Miyuki are Miyuki's own trademarks.

How Do Heishi Beads and Seed Beads Differ in Shape, Hole, and Drape?

Three things separate them every time: shape, hole count, and how the finished strand sits on the wrist.

• Shape. Heishi is a flat disc. Round seed beads are small spheres. Tila is a flat square tile. Delica is a short glass cylinder.
• Hole count. Heishi, round seed beads, and Delica all have one hole. Tila is the exception, with two narrow parallel holes designed for loom and weaving work.
• Drape. Flat shapes (heishi and Tila) lie close against the skin in an even line. Round seed beads roll slightly and catch more light, which is part of why they read as sparklier in finished pieces.
• Stringing. Heishi and round seed beads thread easily on stretch cord. Tila needs a cord or thread sized to its narrower holes. Delica is almost always worked on a loom or with a needle and thread rather than strung loose.

Scale matters too. A 6mm heishi disc sits close enough in size to a 5mm Tila tile that the two pair well in a mixed design, while a tiny 11/0 round seed bead reads as a delicate accent next to either one rather than a competing focal point.

Which Should You Choose for Your Next Bracelet?

Depends on the look you're after.

Reach for heishi beads when you want a boho, color-blocked stack that comes together fast. A single strand of heishi in two or three colors looks finished with almost no planning, which makes it a forgiving first project. Reach for seed beads when you want more structure. Tila beads build the flat, tile-pattern bracelets Mack & Rex is known for, strung on crystal-cord elastic into clean geometric rows. Round seed beads work best as spacers and accents between larger beads, adding sparkle without taking over the design. Delica is the choice for loom work and detailed woven patterns, not for a quick stretch bracelet.

If you'd rather skip the sourcing step, the Mack & Rex heishi beads collection carries loose heishi strands ready to string, and Mack & Rex's finished Tila bracelets (sizes XXS to 5XL) use genuine Miyuki beads already strung and knotted for you.

Can You Mix Heishi Beads and Seed Beads in One Design?

Yes, and it's one of the more popular combinations.

Flat heishi discs and flat Tila tiles pair naturally since both sit against the wrist the same way; alternating the two, or clustering Tila at a focal point flanked by heishi, reads as a styled texture mix, not a mismatch. Round seed beads slot in as spacers between either shape for extra color or sparkle. The one planning step that matters is hole size: size your cord to Tila's narrower two holes, since that cord will still glide through heishi's wider single hole and a round seed bead's hole without any trouble.

One more thing worth saying plainly: heishi beads, Tila beads, and seed beads are all small parts and a choking hazard. Loose beads are not a project for very young children who still mouth small objects, and older kids who string them need an adult in the room the entire time, not a quick check-in partway through.

Where Can You Buy Heishi Beads and Seed Beads?

Both live in one place, which saves a second order.

The Mack & Rex heishi beads collection carries loose heishi strands by the piece, and the broader seed beads collection stocks genuine Miyuki Tila beads and Tila bead mixes (roughly $5 to $9) alongside them, so you can build a mixed-texture design without hunting down a second supplier. The trio kits and DIY Bracelet Kit Club pair Miyuki Tila beads with crystal-cord elastic already measured out, and a strand of heishi from the collection above drops right into either kit if you want to add that disc texture yourself. For a ready-made option, Mack & Rex's finished bracelets come strung, knotted, and sized from XXS to 5XL.

Mack & Rex ships worldwide, with shipping and any customs or duties calculated at checkout, and free shipping on US orders over $100. Buy three finished bracelets and the fourth is free, no code needed (that offer covers finished bracelets, not loose beads or kits).

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the main difference between heishi beads and seed beads?

Heishi beads are flat discs with one hole through the center, usually polymer clay, shell, or stone. Seed beads are small, rounded glass beads made in uniform sizes, including Miyuki's round, Delica, and two-hole Tila styles. The shapes sit on the wrist differently and call for different stringing methods.

Can you mix heishi beads and seed beads in one bracelet?

Yes. Flat heishi discs pair well with flat Tila tiles since both lie against the wrist the same way, and round seed beads work as spacers between heishi for texture. The main thing to plan around is hole size, since Tila's two narrow holes are smaller than heishi's single opening.

Do heishi beads and seed beads need different stringing cord?

Not necessarily. A stretch cord sized to fit Miyuki Tila's narrower two holes will also pass through heishi's wider single hole and round seed beads without trouble. Loom or bead-weaving projects with Delica seed beads use fine beading thread, since that work does not use stretch cord at all.

Are loose heishi beads and seed beads safe for kids to craft with?

Only with an adult in the room the whole time. Heishi beads and seed beads are both small parts and a choking hazard, so loose beads are not appropriate for young children, and older kids who string them still need supervision from start to finish, not an occasional check-in.

Ready to see the shapes side by side? Shop loose heishi discs and genuine Miyuki seed beads, including Tila, in the Mack & Rex heishi beads collection. Mack & Rex ships worldwide, with shipping and any customs or duties calculated at checkout, and free shipping on US orders over $100. Buy three finished bracelets and the fourth is free, no code needed.