By Size (Diameter)
Micro Beads — Less than 1mm. Used in road marking, industrial coatings, cosmetics.
Small Beads — 1mm to 2mm. Common in crafts, jewelry making, facial scrubs.
Medium Beads — 2mm to 4mm. Popular for jewelry, decorative purposes, aquarium use.
Large Beads — 4mm to 8mm. Used in wind chimes, curtain accessories, bracelet making.
Extra Large Beads — 8mm to 16mm. Decorative, display purposes.
Jumbo Beads — 16mm and above. Statement pieces, lamp filling, garden decor.

By Shape
Round / Spherical Beads — Perfectly round, most common type.
Oval / Egg-shaped Beads — Elongated round shape.
Rocaille Beads (Seed Beads) — Small, short cylindrical or round, used in embroidery and weaving.
Tube Beads — Long cylindrical shape, often used in bracelets.
Cube Beads — Square-shaped.
Disc Beads / Flat Beads — Disc-like, flat on both sides.
Faceted Beads — Cut with flat faces, more sparkle and shine.
Smooth Beads — No facets, glossy surface.
Hollow Beads — Lightweight, often used in road marking and industrial fillers.
Irregular / Crushed Beads — Broken into random shapes, used in terrazzo, aquarium, crafts.

By Material Composition
Soda-Lime Glass Beads — Most common, affordable, general purpose.
Borosilicate Glass Beads — Heat resistant, high durability, used in lab and industrial applications.
Lead Glass Beads (Crystal Glass Beads) — High refractive index, very shiny, used in jewelry and chandeliers.
Alumino-Borosilicate Glass Beads — Chemical resistant, used in road marking and industrial coatings.
Recycled Glass Beads — Made from recycled glass, eco-friendly.
Colored Glass Beads — Tinted with metal oxides during manufacturing.
Opaque Glass Beads — Non-transparent, solid color.
Transparent / Clear Glass Beads — See-through, glass-like clarity.
Translucent Glass Beads — Partially transparent, light passes through softly.

By Surface Finish
Glossy / Polished Beads — Smooth, shiny surface.
Matte / Frosted Beads — Rough, non-reflective surface.
Glitter Beads — Embedded with glitter inside or coated with glitter.
Galvanized / Coated Beads — Coated with metal (silver, gold) or reflective layer.
Painted Beads — Hand-painted or machine-painted with colors and patterns.
AB Coated (Aurora Borealis) Beads — Coated with iridescent film, rainbow-like effect.
Dichroic Beads — Coated with dichroic glass film, color changes with viewing angle.

By Application / Function
Road Marking Beads / Traffic Beads — High reflectivity, embedded in road paint for nighttime visibility. Size typically 100–1000 microns.
Reflective Glass Beads — Coated with reflective layer, used in safety clothing, signage, road marking.
Blasting / Abrasive Glass Beads — Used for sandblasting, surface cleaning, peening. Very hard, consistent size.
Jewelry Beads — Decorative, various sizes and finishes.
Craft Beads — For DIY, bead weaving, embroidery.
Filler Beads — Used in weight bags, bean bags, resin art, aquarium substrate.
Beauty / Exfoliating Beads — Smooth round micro beads, used in facial scrubs, toothpaste. (Note: micro plastic beads are now banned in many countries, replaced by jojoba beads or natural alternatives.)
Industrial / Fillers — Used in paints, coatings, adhesives for weight, texture, and reflectivity.
Aquarium / Fish Tank Beads — Decorative, non-toxic, various colors.
Chandelier / Prism Beads — Faceted, high clarity, used in chandeliers and decorations.
Mosaic Beads (Millefiori Beads) — Colorful patterned beads, used in mosaics and jewelry.

By Manufacturing Method
Melted Glass Beads — Made by melting glass and forming into spheres. Most common.
Cut Glass Beads — Cut from glass rods or tubes. More precise shape and size.
Drawn Glass Beads — Pulled from molten glass, very round and uniform.
Sprayed Glass Beads — Made by spraying molten glass, irregular shape, used in road marking and blasting.

Standard Size Reference (Seed Bead Sizing)
6/0 — Approximately 4.0mm, also known as large seed bead.
8/0 — Approximately 3.0mm, also known as medium seed bead.
11/0 — Approximately 2.0mm, also known as small seed bead.
15/0 — Approximately 1.5mm, also known as extra small seed bead.

Quick Summary
The most commonly referenced classifications are:
1. By size — micro, small, medium, large, jumbo
2. By shape — round, rocaille, tube, faceted, cube
3. By material — soda-lime, borosilicate, lead crystal, recycled
4. By function — road marking, blasting, jewelry, craft, reflective
The universal English term is simply Glass Bead. Specific types are named by combining material + shape + function, for example: Soda-Lime Round Glass Beads, Reflective Road Marking Glass Beads, Faceted Lead Crystal Beads.