To figure out how many beads are on a strand, use the handy chart below.
Beads per Inch (rounded to the nearset 0.25)
S t r a n d
S i z e
Bead Size
3mm
4mm
5mm
6mm
8mm
10mm
12mm
14mm
16mm
1 inch
8.5
6.25
5.0
4.25
3.25
2.5
2.0
1.75
1.5
7 inches
59.25
44.5
35.5
29.5
22.25
17.75
14.75
12.75
11.0
16 inches
135.5
101.5
81.25
67.75
50.75
40.75
33.75
29.0
25.5
24 inches
203.25
152.5
122.0
101.5
76.25
61.0
50.75
43.5
38.0
To do the calculations yourself you’ll need three numbers to figure this out: the length of the strand, the size of the beads, and the metric conversion. The metric conversion is 25.4mm to one inch. So to figure out how many beads, first multiply the length of the strand by 25.4. Then divide that number by the size of the beads, and you have the approximate number of beads. For example, the formula for a 16-inch strand of 4mm beads would look like this: 16in x 25.4 = 406.4mm. 406.4mm / 4mm = 101.6 beads.
