Large Hole Beads and Spacer Beads: A Complete Guide
Large hole beads are gemstone beads drilled with a hole of about 2 mm to 2.5 mm, 2 to 3 times the size of a standard drill, so they slide onto leather, hemp, waxed cord, several strands of nylon cord or thick elastic. Spacer beads are the small beads you place between your main beads to separate them, set a rhythm, keep stones from rubbing and make a strand go further. This guide covers what fits through a large hole, how our half strands work, the spacer types we carry and how to size them to your beads.
Our large hole beads are the same stones we sell on standard strands, from tiger's eye and lapis to onyx and jasper, drilled for cord.
Part 1: Large Hole Beads
What "Large Hole" Means
A standard gemstone bead is drilled with a hole of roughly 10% to 15% of its diameter, which works out to about 0.8 mm to 1 mm in an 8 mm bead. That is right for beading wire, thread and elastic, but too small for most leather and cord. Our large hole rounds are drilled to 2 mm on the 6 mm beads and 2.5 mm on the 8 mm and 10 mm beads, as stated on each listing. A few listings give a single 2.5 mm figure for every size, so check the product description before you plan a design around a thick cord.
Half Strands
Most of our large hole beads are sold as half strands, marked "1/2 Strand" in the title. Each runs about 7.5 to 8 inches and holds about 33 beads at 6 mm, 25 at 8 mm and 20 at 10 mm, which is close to 1 bracelet. For a necklace or a mala, plan on several: a 108 bead mala in 8 mm takes 5 half strands. Our matte black onyx large hole beads are a typical example, with the bead counts and hole sizes listed for each size.
What Fits Through a Large Hole
The table below is a general guide for our 2 mm and 2.5 mm holes. Cords vary a little in thickness from brand to brand, so test 1 bead before you cut your cord.
| Cord | 2 mm hole (6 mm beads) | 2.5 mm hole (8 mm and 10 mm beads) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mm leather or waxed cord | Fits easily | Fits easily, even doubled |
| 1.5 mm leather | Fits | Fits easily |
| 2 mm leather | Usually too tight | Fits, snug |
| 1 mm elastic | Fits easily; snug doubled | Fits easily, single or doubled |
| 0.9 mm nylon cord (S-Lon Tex 400) | 2 strands | 2 to 3 strands |
| 0.5 mm nylon cord (S-Lon Tex 210) | 4 strands | 4 strands or more |
Our leather and waxed cords and S-Lon nylon cords are the usual partners for these beads. On elastic, the wider hole has another advantage: the knot slips inside a bead and disappears.
One caution: large hole gemstone beads are not made for European-style charm bracelets. Those snake chains are about 3 mm thick and take charm beads with holes of roughly 4 mm to 5 mm, so a 2.5 mm hole will not slide on.
What to Make with Large Hole Beads
Leather wrap bracelets. String beads on 1 mm or 1.5 mm leather, wrap it 2 or 3 times around the wrist, and finish with a button and loop or a sliding knot.
Macrame bracelets. Square knot bracelets carry the beads on the center strands of nylon cord, and the large hole takes 2 to 4 strands where a standard bead takes 1.
Guru beads for malas. The guru bead at the base of a mala has to take both cord ends and the tassel cord, which is easy with a 2.5 mm hole. Our guide to making a mala necklace walks through it.
Part 2: Spacer Beads
What Spacer Beads Do
Separate. A small bead between 2 large ones lets each stone read on its own, which matters with patterned stones like jasper and agate.
Add rhythm. A metal or contrasting spacer repeated through a strand gives the eye a beat to follow.
Keep stones from rubbing. Stones of very different hardness wear each other down when they rub. Quartz is 7 on the Mohs scale; malachite is 3.5 to 4 and turquoise 5 to 6. A spacer between them takes the contact instead. Our post on the Mohs hardness scale explains which stones need the care.
Stretch a strand further. A 7.5 inch bracelet of 8 mm beads takes about 24 stones. Put a 3 mm spacer after each one and it takes about 17 stones and 17 spacers, so a 15 inch strand of about 48 beads makes nearly 3 bracelets instead of 2.
Spacer Types We Carry
Metal spacers in our findings. Our jewelry findings include antique silver plated rounds, tubes and bead caps from about 3.5 mm, and gold finished brass beads such as brushed brass balls in 4 mm to 7.5 mm.
Ethiopian metal beads. Our Ethiopian metal beads are handmade from mixed metal alloys in brass, copper and silver-white tones, with a hammered, slightly irregular surface. They run from 1.5 mm heishi to 8.5 mm rondelles, and the long strands go a long way as spacers.
Artisan brass cubes and tubes. Diamond faceted brass cubes in 2 mm and 3 mm add sparkle without size, and knurled brass barrel tubes add texture.
Gemstone heishi and rondelles. Thin heishi beads such as 3x6 mm tiger's eye or 2x4 mm snowflake sodalite and Dalmatian jasper let you space beads with stone instead of metal. Rondelles in the same stone as your main bead extend a strand without changing its color.
Hematite spacers. Hematite rondelle disks come in 3 mm, 2x4 mm and 6 mm. The natural gunmetal color is the stone itself; the silver, gold and copper tones are electroplated, and that finish can wear with skin contact over time. More shapes are in our hematite beads.
Roman glass heishi. Matte Roman glass heishi in soft sea-glass colors are modern glass made in Afghanistan in the style of ancient Roman glass. They suit turquoise, amazonite and other blue-green designs.
| Spacer type | Look | Sizes | Best with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antique silver plated metal | Darkened silver rounds, tubes, bead caps | About 3.5 mm to 7.5 mm | Black, gray and blue stones: onyx, larvikite, sodalite |
| Gold finished brass | Brushed or carved gold tone balls | 4 mm to 7.5 mm | Warm stones: tiger's eye, carnelian, red jasper |
| Ethiopian metal | Handmade, hammered; brass, copper, silver-white tones | 1.5 mm heishi to 8.5 mm rondelles | Earthy jaspers, wood, African glass, boho designs |
| Artisan brass cubes and tubes | Faceted sparkle or knurled texture | 2 mm to 3.8 mm | Matte stones, men's bracelets |
| Gemstone heishi | Thin stone disks | 2x4 mm to 3x6 mm | Same or contrasting stone, all-stone designs |
| Gemstone rondelles | Flattened rounds, smooth or faceted | 2x4 mm and up | The same stone, to extend a strand |
| Hematite disks | Gunmetal, or plated silver, gold and copper tones | 3 mm, 2x4 mm, 6 mm | Almost any stone; lava, onyx, men's designs |
| Roman glass heishi | Matte sea-glass blues and greens | 5 mm, 6 mm | Turquoise, amazonite, beach and boho styles |
How to Size Spacers to Your Beads
A round or cube spacer about a third to a half the size of the main bead looks right in most designs: 2 mm to 3 mm with 6 mm beads, 3 mm to 4 mm with 8 mm beads, and 4 mm to 5 mm with 10 mm beads. Flat heishi and rondelles can be closer to the main bead's diameter because they are thin; a 2x4 mm disk sits neatly against a 6 mm or 8 mm round. If you are stringing on cord, check the spacer's hole as well as the bead's, because a spacer drilled for wire will not pass over 2 mm leather.
Spacer Patterns
Every bead. A spacer between every stone gives an even, open look and uses the fewest stones.
Every 3rd bead. Groups of 3 stones divided by a single spacer read as clusters, a natural pattern for bracelets.
Stations. Runs of 5 to 7 stones divided by a small group, such as spacer, accent bead, spacer, give a necklace structure without a focal.
Framing. Put a spacer or bead cap on each side of a focal bead or pendant to set it off from the strand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size is the hole in a large hole bead?
On our large hole rounds, 2 mm on 6 mm beads and 2.5 mm on 8 mm and 10 mm beads. A standard 8 mm gemstone bead has a hole of about 0.8 mm to 1 mm.
What cord can I use with large hole beads?
1 mm or 1.5 mm leather, waxed cord, hemp, 1 mm elastic, or 2 to 4 strands of nylon cord. 2 mm leather fits the 2.5 mm holes but is usually too tight for 2 mm holes.
Do large hole gemstone beads fit European-style charm bracelets?
No. Those bracelets are about 3 mm thick and take beads with holes of roughly 4 mm to 5 mm, larger than our 2 mm to 2.5 mm holes.
How many large hole beads do I need for a bracelet?
About 1 half strand: roughly 25 beads at 8 mm or 20 at 10 mm covers a 7.5 to 8 inch bracelet.
What size spacer beads go with 8 mm beads?
3 mm to 4 mm rounds or cubes, or thin 2x4 mm heishi and rondelles. Go smaller for a subtle look and larger for a bold, beaded rhythm.
What are spacer beads used for?
To separate and frame main beads, add a repeating accent, keep stones of different hardness from rubbing, and make a strand of stones go further.
Shop Large Hole and Spacer Beads
Find the beads in this guide in our large hole beads, heishi beads, Ethiopian metal beads and jewelry findings. To put large hole beads to work, see how to make a mala necklace.
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