Bead reamer

A bead reamer is a small hand tool with a tapered, textured or diamond-coated tip that is twisted inside a bead's hole to smooth rough edges, remove leftover drilling debris, or slightly widen a hole that is too tight for the thread or wire being used.

It matters most with natural materials like gemstone or shell beads, where drilled holes are often uneven, off-center, or have sharp internal edges left over from manufacturing. A rough hole can fray thread over time or even cut into beading wire at a pressure point, so smoothing it first protects the finished piece.

Reaming works best done wet, holding the bead under a little water or in a shallow dish, since dry reaming throws fine glass or stone dust into the air. A common mistake is skipping this step on inexpensive stone beads and then forcing wire or a needle through a rough hole, which can fray cord, snap thread, or crack a fragile bead outright.