1. BEADS
2. FINDINGS (Clasps, wire, chain etc.)
Baroque beads – these are randomly shaped nugget beads.
Cane glass – see Furnace Glass below.
Chevron beads – these are glass beads originally handcrafted by 13th century Italian glassmakers. They are occasionally called Rosetti or star beads. They consist of many layers of coloured glass, cut to display a chevron pattern.
Cloisonné – an art form which began in
Cylinder beads – see seed beads (also known as rocailles).
Dichroic glass – these are quite expensive ‘arty’ beads. Dichroic glass has a very fine film of metal fused to the surface of the glass. This produces a gorgeous sheen making the bead appear to be different colours when sighted at different angles.
Fire-polished beads – these are facetted glass beads from the
Furnace glass – these are handmade using large decorated glass canes built up of smaller canes, encased in clear glass. David Christensen furnace glass beads are very popular (although much more expensive than others) because of their high quality.
Lampworked beads – these are made by using a gas torch to heat the glass, which is then wrapped around a metal rod. This creates the base of the bead where other differently coloured glass are then added to produce a large variety of different designs.
Millefiori – an old glasswork technique that has been around for centuries. The millefiore technique uses glass canes which have patterns that can only be seen on the ends of the cane. These remind me of the rock candy at seaside resorts in the
Pressed (molded) beads – heat is applied to thick glass rods, which are placed into molds that stamp the glass.
Seed beads (also known as rocailles) – seed beads are tiny beads that are used extensively in beadwork and also in general jewelry making. They come in a range of sizes, the most popular of which is the 11/0 size. You can either get Japanese seed beads or Czech seed beads. A new type of seed bead has become very popular during the last decade, the cylinder bead (made in Japan). Normal seed beads have rounded sides, but cylinder beads have flat sides (making them look like small tubes), large holes and are very regular in shape and size. These qualities make them extremely suitable for bead weaving as they create a flatter design. Although there are some that prefer the varied look of the Czech seed beeds. There are three different versions of cylinder beads; Delicas made by Miyuki, Treasures made by Toho and Aiko (an extremely precise bead), also made by Toho.
Swarovski crystal pearls - These crystal rounds are finished with many layers of highly luminous pearlescence. Each crystal pearl is perfectly round and exquisite.
Bali silver - sterling silver cast beads and findings, which are distinctive looking and easily recognisable once you've seen a few.
Bolt ring clasp - also known as a spring ring clasp. This is a circular clasp with a tiny slide lever for opening and closing. One of the most common types of clasp and used in a lot of jewelry.
Crimp – small metal cylinder, looks similar to a small metal seed bead. They can be used to form loops in flexible beading wire, to attach clasps to flexible wire or to keep beads in place.
Eye-pin – a piece of wire with a loop on one end. This has various uses; making link jewelry, earrings etc.
Gimp (French Wire) – fine coiled wire used to protect silk thread ends.
Head-pin – a piece of wire with a flattened end so that you can thread beads onto it without them slipping off. These look a bit like a small thin nail.
Jump ring – a loop or circle of wire that can be closed and open with pliers. These are widely used in jewelry making to link things together, e.g. attaching a clasp to a chain or attaching charms to a bracelet.
Lobster clasp - it is similar to the bolt ring clasp, but is shaped a bit like a lobster's claw. This is a common type of clasp seen on many pieces of jewelry.
Nymo – a popular brand of beading thread that is used in beadwork.
Sterling Silver (STS) – this is the international silver standard, 92.5% pure silver content, hallmark 925.
AB (Aurora Borealis) – this is a partial rainbow-like coating, which gives an shimmering finish to crystal and glass beads.
Beadwork – attaching beads to each another using a needle and thread. Beadwork can either be created on a bead loom or just by hand (also known as off-loom).
Rhodium - a metal even more precious than platinum. Rhodium is sometimes used to plate sterling silver jewelry.
Gold Filled – base metal covered with gold. This is different from gold plated metals because the layer of gold is a lot more substantial; 1/20th of the total weight.
Vermeil (pronounced ver-may) – sterling silver that is plated with gold.
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