Antique SVC Venetian Transparent Tangerine Orange #5 Seed Beads 13/0

Antique SVC Venetian Transparent 13/0 Seed Beads — Tangerine Orange #5

Genuine Venetian 13/0 seed beads from old Società Veneziana Conterie warehouse stock, in Tangerine Orange #5 — a warm golden-tangerine in fully transparent glass, carrying more amber depth than the bright pumpkin oranges and more orange conviction than the marigolds. This is the same documented colorway as our 11/0 Tangerine Orange #5, stepped down to a finer working diameter, and the two match closely enough to use together when a piece needs the same color at two scales.

Being fully transparent, the color compounds where beads overlap. At this small size that effect is especially pronounced: individual beads read light and almost honey-clear, but a packed row or a filled area builds to a deep, glowing amber-orange well beyond what a single bead suggests. Plan color placement from a spread rather than from a few loose beads, or the finished work will come out darker than expected.

A number of beads carry dark interior specks, and the lot includes a small scattering of stray off-color beads — a few paler yellows and the occasional green — almost certainly picked up during original warehouse handling rather than from the production run. Along with the specks, these are the marks of uncirculated old stock that was never sorted or strung for the bead trade. Pre-sorting will pull the strays out quickly.

At 13/0 this is a fine working size, smaller than the 11/0 rounds most beadworkers keep on hand but not in micro territory. It suits detail lines, tight edge beading, delicate fringe, and restoration of period pieces worked in small stock, and it wants a fine needle with thread sized to match. Browse our full SVC orange inventory to compare against your reference material.

Sizing note: This lot measured approximately 1.7–1.9mm at sampling, which places it at 13/0. Its original warehouse card carries a size-12 designation; where the card and the measurement disagree we catalogue by measurement and disclose both. Antique beads are measured from original stock and sizing is approximate; dimensions may vary between lots. We recommend pre-sorting before count-critical work.