It is better to buy 8mm beads. 6mm beads are too small and are usually made from scraps.

Pterocarpus indicus (Latin scientific name: Pterocarpus indicus) is a deciduous tree of the order Rosaceae, Leguminosae, and genus Pterocarpus, with a height of 15-25 meters. Bark gray. Pinnately compound leaves are 15-30 cm long; panicles are terminal or axillary, multi-flowered, covered with brown pubescence. Grows in sparse forests on slopes or cultivated in gardens. Produced in Taiwan, Guangdong and Yunnan (south), China, and also distributed in India, Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar. The wood is hard and dense, with red heartwood. It is an excellent material for construction, musical instruments and furniture; resin and wood are used for medicinal purposes.