I’m really having trouble finding the black beads people use for normal black pupils. I just keep finding ones that are way too big. I’ve heard people use half flat back ones but I’ve also heard people use the gems with the pointy backs, so do some people use fully round beads too? What is the size I should be looking for? I also want to get some small pearls and gems for pupils but am unsure as I don’t want to buy any too big! Even when looking up nail art supplies I’d feel better knowing if there’s a certain size to look for. Please post your recs for where to get these! I’m hoping to make 10mm,12mm ,14mm eyes if that helps.
A quick size comparison: 16mm, 14mm, and 8mm* eyes compared to 4mm and common #11 seed beads. Hopefully this will help! *Corrected version eye sizes vs beads correct by M Collier, on Flickr Other people will probably have more info on nail gems, but for beads try Artbeads. I've had good luck with them before.
A good place to find options and buy them would be a jewelry making supply store like Firemountaingems.com You would be amazed at the options available, from flat backs to faceted (pointy backed) rhinestones to actual gemstones and beads and in so many sizes at very reasonable prices. Firemountain is the name that comes to mind because I use them, but there are many to choose from. Another is Rio Grande. Good luck! I hope you post pics of your finished eyes.
For smaller sized iris, I feel that nail art beads are better options. They are usually smaller than the ones used in jewelry making. If you prefer eyes with high and pointy dome(which gathers lights better yet doesn't fit dolls with half-closed eyes), smaller iris is much better because the dome will enlarge the center part of the eyes. From my experience the dome can visually enlarge the iris by two times. But each person make the dome differently. So the best way to decide the fitting iris size for your eyes is through trial and error. As for where to buy them, same as Shojo-Chan I would recommend aliexpress/ebay. Ali is probably better as most ebay products are shipped from China anyway.
If your looking for pupil size, you can always look at the eyes on Etsy. Sellers list their eye size and pupil size on most of the ones they sell. Gives you some kind of an idea of what scale you want to try. I've also bought half beads on Etsy as well. Good luck!