# What is the opposite of a seed bead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834 "2017-02-26T16:19:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/1 "2017-02-26T16:19:07Z")
I’m trying to put together an inventory of my jewelry and what each piece is made of. Is there a one-word term for “not-a-seed-bead” beads? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/2 "2017-02-26T18:48:11Z")
Seed beads are a specific type of bead - you want a category that encompasses all the other types, but not seed beads? I don’t think there is one. It would be like a category for all fruit except grapes. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/3 "2017-02-26T19:05:32Z")
Decor or accent beads? ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/4 "2017-02-26T20:19:08Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Seed beads are a specific type of bead - you want a category that encompasses all the other types, but not seed beads? I don’t think there is one. It would be like a category for all fruit except grapes. I guess I think of all beads as falling into the categories of “seed bead” (which you use in bulk and are often background) or big main-event sort of thingy (which are more expensive and you buy fewer at a time and they tend to be the focus of the piece). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/5 "2017-02-26T20:28:44Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > I guess I think of all beads as falling into the categories of “seed bead” (which you use in bulk and are often background) or big main-event sort of thingy (which are more expensive and you buy fewer at a time and they tend to be the focus of the piece). I guess you could say ‘decorative beads’, but that’s descriptive, and not accurately descriptive of everything that isn’t a seed bead. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/6 "2017-02-27T02:21:37Z")
I hereby propose “not-seed bead”. It’s concise, explicit, and accurate. You’re welcome. Since this is solely for use in your own internal database you can use whichever term you prefer. You can call them austropithicus beads if you want. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/7 "2017-02-27T06:52:05Z")
I propose Fruit Beads. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/8 "2017-02-27T06:53:31Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > I propose Fruit Beads. I prefer Meat Beads. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/9 "2017-02-27T07:12:06Z")
Reading the title, my mind went to really big beads, like the ones you’d see in hair, but from what I can tell there isn’t any single word for those. But I didn’t spend a lot of time looking since it doesn’t seem like that’s what you’re looking for. How about Costume or Costume Beads. I just took that from costume jewelry and doing a google image search for ‘costume beads’ gives me, more or less, big (but ranging in size) colorful, mostly plastic beads that have all different shapes. Certainly the opposite of those little tiny things we all spent 3 hours a day poking are fingers in the 90’s making necklaces with (only to say 'maybe a bracelet will work, then spend the next week finding beads everywhere). ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-a-seed-bead/780834/10 "2017-02-27T12:03:56Z")
How about “beads” and “seed beads?” I understand that technically the one category should be inclusive of the other; but as long as you’re not actually a professional taxonomist, I believe it’ll fly. 😉 BTW this is from someone who has agonized over whether it was illogical to combine white beads with clear faceted ones in my many-sectioned bead case. Someone who separates plastic from glass from wood. And white-metal jump rings from yellow.