Seems like it will probably be very interesting, very time consuming, and may open up a variety of cans of worms.....
It would only work if enough people would be willing to contribute knowledge, texts, images.

This website gives some interesting information.

bead friends and veterans here may remember the Bead database that was set up in the 1990s by members of Beads-L an email correspondence forum that was the latest innovation we could create at that time, where different members could add images and details.
there were various drawbacks both to do with cost of site, entering stuff, maintaining the format, and the relative accuracy of the information which varied enormously...
eventually it couldn't be maintained.
since then, pinterest and all sorts of websites and collective blogs with pictures have been developed but in my opinion you would need a specialist to vet the entries and many of us are rather busy at our day jobs. as i'm writing something for possible publication at the moment i wouldn't want to dedicate time to it unless there was something in it for me, i suppose.
also you would still have to search using names and words which means it may still not be helpful trying to ID any unfamiliar bead...

so persuade me how it could be done well!

After Google Images, the BCN archives are my go-to search of choice.

Many BCN members have posted images from the site on Pinterest. When care is taken to link back properly, you can get to the original post easily.

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=beadcollector.net&rs=typed&0=beadcollector.net|typed

my favorite bead shots have people in them

https://www.pinterest.com/tasart/bead-wearing-people/

and failed...............seems that there were one or two editors making all the decisions and it fizzled out...........lots of work went into it and not much to show for it

dzinn dzinn is offline
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Join Date
Mar 2003
Posts
132
Default Announcing the Global Interactive Bead Database
Hi all,

This has been my baby -- come have a look! Soon we will be inviting all ISGB Forum members to document their beads for future bead collectors current bead lovers researchers.

http://bead-database.org/

Up and running since February 2005, it's a globally owned and maintained online bead information database -

* unique
* easy to use and search
* with images and data
* for identifying beads
* new and old
* of all materials
* from all over the world

In addition to the bead image database itself, which already has nearly 300 entries,

* extensive Glossary of nearly 500 Bead terms
* daily Bead Research News
* Discussion Forums
* reference articles
* links

Additional modules will be created in coming months for

* Contemporary Beadmakers
* Student Beadmakers
* Beadwork

Kind regards,
Deborah Zinn, ISGB member, Melbourne Australia

this may or may not work, feedback requested

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1035463965099.2007630.1180458193&type=1&l=4163a19ff9

the LINK function doesn't work, so the link will have to be copied and pasted

Beadazzled has a great online resource to aid in bead ID and full of information with photos, a lot of work went into this one!!!
It will take some time to scroll all the way down

many entries are unfinished but they have done a lot!

Or, perhaps, there could be an alphabetical with a user friendlier link to the archives?

When do you want to get started?