A preliminary review of the developing morphology of ceramic beads during extended operations in high energy stirred mills is presented. Ceramic beads are produced from various formulations and processes; these certainly affect the cost of the media; but significantly, they impact the competence and performance. Mills operate with a 'Working-Mix' or 'Seasoned-Charge'; invariably this means that worn beads of various sizes are present in the mill. These beads can have effect on 'mill efficiency', 'overall media wear' and particularly 'mill wear'. This study reports preliminary findings of wear profiles of typical ceramic media and some of the potential effects of extended use. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.