Bead Glossary
Terms found here will be those that appear elsewhere on the website, perhaps within descriptions for our beads. If there is anything else you want to know, just ask on our Contact Us page.
Jump to section: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Acrylic – A man-made resin used for moulded plastic beads.
Aurora Borealis (AB) – This is a micro-thin layer of metal giving a rainbow iridescent finish to a bead. First developed for use on crystal by Swarovski when working in association with the fashion designer, Christian Dior, in 1956. Now applied widely (not just by Swarovski) and extremely popular. This is a durable finish as the metal is permanently bonded with the glass.
Aught – Unit of measurement for seed beads. It is usually denoted by a number followed by a slash and a zero or a degree sign (e.g. 11/0 or 11°). The higher the first number, the smaller the bead.
Aventurina – Very fine copper flakes or powder used to decorate glass beads or add sparkle. Goldstone/bluestone etc. is made of glass mixed with aventurina powder. Originated in Venice in the 15th century, this powder is used in genuine Murano glass and by many of its imitators.
B
Bail – A metal loop used to attach a pendant to a cord, thread or chain.
Baroque – An irregularly shaped bead. Often a term applied to pearls, but it can be applied to any bead type.
Base Metal – Any metal other than gold, silver or platinum – which are considered precious metals.
Bead – A small pierced object, made of natural or man-made materials, that can be strung onto thread or wire for the creation of jewellery.
Bead Board – Useful to have for planning out designs ahead of stringing. They come in different sizes, but all have grooves into which you place your beads and components so that you can try out layouts. Some have multiple grooves so that you can plan multi-stranded items. Around the outside of the grooves are measurements to help you determine the length of the finished piece.
Bead Cap – A pair of these can ‘top and tail’ a bead. They are shaped to fit round a bead, so are generally domed in shape. Bead caps can be purely decorative, serving to off-set a bead, but can also help cover up a large hole giving a neater finish.
Bead Thread – Bead threads are specifically designed to be strong and stretch resistant. Synthetic fibres reduce the risk of fraying or rotting. Sometimes they are treated with a coating to reduce the slippage of knots.
Bead Loom – A small frame that can be strung with warp threads so that a beaded weft can be used to create a piece of bead weaving.
Bead Mat – Make life easier and stop those errant beads from rolling away! A bead mat can be a piece of towel or fleece material that has enough pile to its surface to prevent speedy rolling. A bead mat will also protect your work surface.
Bead Tip – See calotte.
Beaded Beads – A bead constructed of a small beads such as seed beads or crystals, stitched together to form a three-dimensional shape.
Beading Needles – Essential if you are working with any type of supple thread. English hard needles have an eye no wider than the shank of the needle so they are very slim and will pass through the smallest of holes. Collapsible or large eye needles are easier to thread and they reshape as they pass through the bead. The higher the number of the needle, the finer it will be. The longer needles will curve when you use them, but many beaders prefer them this way as it makes them more dexterous!
Beading Wire – Very fine wires twisted together and covered with a smooth coating. Tiger Tail is the common name of a beading wire made up of 7 strands of wire, but also available are wires made from 19 and 49 strands, these have better drape than the 7 strand. All have good strength, but can deform if jewellery is not looked after when stored. Beading wire will not knot, so you will need to use a crimp bead to finish designs or to space beads.
Bicone – An extremely popular bead shape – you cannot escape from crystals in this shape! Bicones resemble two cones stuck together flat end to flat end, and they can be faceted or gently rounded.
Birthstones – Semi- and precious stone assigned to each month or zodiac sign, purported to enhance qualities in the wearer or bring good fortune. There are several lists of ‘official’ birthstones and these vary. The birthstones list that Big Bead Little Bead uses is that of the National Association of Goldsmiths of Great Britain, created in 1937. On it are both precious and semi-precious stones, as each month has an association with a gemstone and a mineral. Go to www.jewellers-online.org for the full list.
Bracelet – A ornamental chain worn about the wrist or arm. Bracelet length will vary according to the style and the dimensions of the wearer. To work out the length of a bracelet, measure the circumference of the wrist and add 1.5 cm, then subtract the length of the closure method chosen. Make sure the bracelet is not too slack on the wrist else it could slip off.
Bullion – See french wire.
Bugle Beads – Short thin tubes of glass (usually less than 2mm thick). Made by drawing out a long tube of glass and then cutting into shorter lengths. Good for shine and swing. Think fringing on flappers’ dresses.
C
Calotte – Also known as a bead tip, clam shell or knot cup. Small metal finding used to hide the method of ending a strand. Two halves of a hollow sphere encase a knot or crimp thereby giving the appearance of a neat end. Calottes can be simple or decorative.
Cameo – Traditionally, cameos are made from shell or gemstone. A design is carved so that the design (perhaps a head and shoulders portrait) is raised and of a different colour to the background. Modern cameos are often made of plastic.
Candy Glass Beads – See furnace glass beads.
Cane Glass Beads – See furnace glass beads
Cat’s Eye Bead – Also known as fibre-optic beads. These glass beads are called cat’s eye beads because of the iridescent white streak that glows from the middle and resembles a light-reflecting cat’s eye
Ceylon Beads – Translucent or transparent beads with a pearlised finish.
Chain Nose Pliers – Are the perfect all purpose tool and should be on the list of essential jewellery making tools that you will need. They are used to bend, cut, hold and manipulate wire and findings.
Charlotte Bead – Originally these were Czech made size 13 seed beads, with one hand-cut side, making them slightly faceted. Now it is possible to buy seed beads of other sizes with a single facet, and these are called one- cut or true-cuts.
Charms – Small ornaments or pendants added to bracelets or necklaces.
Choker – A tight fitting necklace worn at the base of the neck. Measures about 16 inches / 40.6 cm depending on neck size.
Clam Shell – Another name for a calotte.
Clasps – A component used to join two ends of a piece of jewellery together. Available in many different styles and sizes.
Cloisonné – An enamelling technique. Strips of bent wire are soldered onto a metal base (usually both these are of copper) to form a pattern. The spaces between the wires are called cloisons, and these are filled with enamel. The object is then fired and polished several times. The exposed wire outline is sometimes given a gold plated finish. There are other cheaper to produce methods that also produce a finish referred to as cloisonné, but the best quality work is produced as described above.
Cold Wire Work – Wire-working techniques that don’t require solder or heat – i.e. cutting, wrapping, hammering, coiling and bending.
Colour Lined – Or inside colour, a transparent bead lined inside the hole with an opaque colour. This coloured lining may wear away over time and some colours may fade.
Cone Ends – Also know as end cones or end caps. A cone used at the end of piece to gather together multi-strands and to hide knots and crimps.
Confetti Beads – Glass beads rolled in tiny pieces of glass while the bead is still hot. Also known as sugar beads.
Cord – A string or thread made up of twisted strands. There are many types of cord suitable for stringing, including cord made of silk, synthetic fibres and waxed cotton.
Cord Ends – Another name for folding crimps.
Crackle Glass – Beads are made by plunging molten glass into water, causing the exterior to crack whilst the still hot interior stays solid.
Crimps – These are tiny metal beads made of a soft metal. They can be used for helping attach necklace or bracelet beading wires to clasps, holding beads in position on stringing wire or cord and for holding together multiple wires. Crush crimp with flat nose or crimping pliers to lock its position on the wire.
Crimping Pliers – This is a specialist tool that will give a neat finish to your crimp beads. A pair of flat nose pliers will flatten a crimp bead – perfectly functional – but crimping pliers will produce a rounded shape to the crimp that looks better and more professional if you are leaving them exposed.
Crystal Glass – Glass with a high lead content which gives it a brilliant transparency and shine. As the lead is contained within the glass crystal beads present no threat of toxicity. Swarovski and Preciosa are the two big names that make crystal beads and pendants, but crystal is also available from Chinese manufacturers. Crystal beads are nearly always faceted to show off the light refracting qualities of the glass, the best quality beads are precision cut by machine.
Cutters – For cutting most wire end or side cutters will put a neat finish on your wire (sand the end of the wire for a super smooth finish). However, memory wire is a different kettle of fish as it is so tough, and needs to be cut either with specialist memory wire cutters, or a pair of sharp household pliers. Use your jewellery pliers and risk ruining the jaws.
D
Dangle – Dangles are generally beaded head or eye pins finished with a loop, or a small object with a top loop, attached to bracelets, necklaces or earrings in the same manner as a charm might be. And yes, they dangle.
Dichroic Glass – This incredibly beautiful glass of oily, rainbow iridescent colours is the result of super high-tech aerospace engineering. Multiple layers of metal oxide are applied to a base coat of glass to the thickness of approximately 1/40th of a sheet of paper. The oxides are applied using an electron bombarder inside a vacuum chamber. As many as 50 layers can be added in specific order and thickness to create the result desired. The thin layers of metal over glass allow some wavelengths of light/colour to pass through and others to reflect, and this creates the shimmering chameleon visual effect. The combination of the metal oxide types used determines the colours presented, and the base glass can be of any colour. The presence of tiny amounts of metal particles in glass can create a similar effect, and this is a far older technique – see the Lycurgus Cup in the British Museum collection that dates to 4th century A.D.
Druk – A spherical pressed glass bead made in Czechoslovakia. No seam line should be visible and it should be optically perfectly round.
Dyed Beads – Some beads, notably seed beads, are dyed or painted. A surface colourant is applied after the bead has been made. This seems to apply most to some beads of a pink, purple or fuchsia colouring, and the result is that beads of these hues are more likely to fade or have their colouring rub or wash off. A spray of acrylic varnish can help to slow the deterioration. UV light (from the sun and fluorescent bulbs) may also fade dyed beads.
E
E Bead A larger seed bead – size 6/0 or bigger.
Earrings and Earwires – These findings come in a variety of styles and finishes, both for pierced and unpierced ears. They are easy to work with to produce a quick piece of jewellery, as there will either be a hoop to attach dangles to, a plate to glue a stone to, or you can thread the beads straight onto the earring.
Elastic Thread – Perfect for making quick fashion bracelets or for children. Simply add beads and knot together the ends (add a drop of glue for extra security). It comes in a variety of colours including clear. Don’t overload thread with heavy beads as it will stretch
Embossed – A moulded or carved pattern stands proud of the surface in low relief – think of the face of a coin.
Enamelled – Coloured powdered glass or glass paste fused to metal using heat. This technique has a heritage stretching back to ancient Greece.
End Cones or End Caps – See cone ends.
End Cutters – also referred to as end nippers or end cutting pliers. They are used to cut wire.
Engraved – A pattern that is carved, etched or inscribed into the surface.
Extension Chain – A short length of chain added at the clasp point of a necklace or bracelet, to allow the necklace length to be worn at variable lengths, or to fit a larger wrist.
Eye Pin – A short length of wire ending in a turned loop. Add beads to produce a dangle or other decorative flourishes. Use the loop to join to other findings or components
F
Fibre-Optic Bead – see cat’s eye.
Figure-of-Eight Knot – Produces a more substantial knot than an overhand, so can be useful for providing a tie-off within a calotte. See illustration for how to tie:
Filigree – In jewellery terms this usually refers to a decorative metal component with an open lace-like structure.
Fire-Polished – These glass beads start life as a pressed round which is then machine-faceted, it is then placed in a polishing furnace that heats the bead’s surface and softens the facets (source – www.jablonexgroup.com). The resulting facets don’t have the machine-cut precision of, say, crystal glass beads, but this gives them a charm of their very own. Fire-polished beads do not contain lead, so they are distinct from crystal glass and should not be labelled as such. Czechoslovakia produces beautiful fire-polished beads in a myriad of colours and applied finishes. India produces similar beads but they are generally of lesser quality – the facets won’t meet as neatly and the glass is less reflective.
Fish Hooks – A type of earring finding that hooks through the ear and resembles a hook used for fishing. Sometimes these are referred to as french earwires.
Findings – All those useful components that turn a handful of beads and a length of thread into a wearable piece of jewellery – clasps, earwires, crimps, head pins, jump rings etc.
Flat Nosed Pliers – These pliers have straight sided outer and inner jaws You will need the flat inner jaw for squashing shut crimp tubes, folding down ribbon ends and keeping a good hold of wire when the need arises (wrap your jaw ends in plastic tape to avoid scratching the metal).
French Earwires – See fish hooks.
French Wire – Also known as gimp or bullion. A length of thin wire tightly coiled like a spring. Use a short length of this to feed your thread through at the clasp end, and thereby add some protection to the thread as it would otherwise rub directly on the loop of the clasp. Gives a professional looking finish.
Frosted – See matte.
Focal Bead – An eye-catching centrepiece bead, usually larger than its companions, or used alone.
Foil-Lined – A glass bead made around a tiny piece of silver or gold foil. The metal foil used can be 24 ct gold, sterling silver, or simply gold or silver coloured metal. Genuine Murano glass beads use pure metal and this is reflected in their price.
Folding Crimps – Also known as thong or cord ends. If you are stringing with lengths of leather, suede, ribbon etc. you may use these crimps at the ends of your work. Place the end of your thong or cord on to the middle of the crimp (use a drop of glue if you like), and fold first one then the other of the sides over the centre. They have an end loop
Furnace Glass Beads – Also known as cane beads or candy beads. Created in a furnace or kiln, glass canes are fused together to create a pattern in cross-section. A bubble is blown into the centre of the glass, and then the glass is pulled to create a long hollow tube which may be as long as 24 metres/ 80 ft!. This long cane is then cut into small lengths, tumbled and fire polished to smooth the edges and create a shiny finish. The process is carried out by hand so these beads can be pricey.
G
Galvanised Beads – Beads (especially seed beads) that have been plated with zinc or other metals. This type of finish can, unfortunately, be lost over time due to friction or acidity from the skin. You can coat the beads with an acrylic spray in order to stabilise the finish and slow down the wear.
Gauge – The american unit of measurement for the thickness of wire. The higher the number, the thinner the wire. Wires produced in the UK are listed by their dimensions in mm, however as so many beading reference sources are american it is useful to know the gauge gradings too.
Wires most frequently employed for jewellery making are listed below:
34 gauge wire = 0.16mm ( 0.006”) Good for wire knitting and twisting. Too fine for firm shaping. Will fit through the smallest seed beads and pearls.
28 gauge wire = 0.32mm ( 0.013”) Good for wire twisting and knitting. Will fit through smaller seed beads, pearls, smaller semi-precious stones and crystals (2-3mm).
26 gauge wire = 0.40mm ( 0.015”) Good for wire twisting and knitting. Use for semi-precious stones with holes too small for 24 gauge wire, pearls and smaller seed beads and crystals.
24 gauge wire = 0.51mm ( 0.020”) Good for wire crafts and general use including wire wrapping beads and stones. This wire type should fit through slim semi-precious stone holes, seed beads, pearls, smaller crystals.
22 gauge wire = 0.64mm (0.0253”) Good for wire crafts and general use including wire wrapping beads and stones. This wire type should fit through slim semi-precious stone holes, size 11 seed beads, 4mm and larger crystals, smaller metal beads (2-3mm) and glass beads (including Czech glass).
20 gauge wire = 0.81mm ( 0.032”) Good for making jewellery, clasps, findings, wire wrapping (beads and stones), ear wires and jump rings. Will fit through most crystals 4mm and larger, larger seed beads (size 8 plus), larger semi-precious (you may need to use a reamer), and glass beads (including Czech glass).
18 gauge wire = 1.02mm ( 0.040”) Good for making heavy jewellery as long as the bead holes are big enough, and for clasps and findings. Use for lampwork and other large glass beads, also larger metal beads.
Gemstone – See semi-precious stones.
Ghost – Translucent matte beads with an AB coating.
Gimp – See french wire.
Givre – (Pronounced ‘gee-vray’) Refers to a crystal (colour) or transparent bead with a swirl of interior color similar to that found in a child’s marble. The beads are usually made using a glass encasing technique before they are pressed into moulds, and then polished. The term appears to have been first used by Swarovski and it comes from the french word meaning frosty.
Gold Colour – Means that a base metal, such as brass, has been covered with a thin layer of gold but this will be extremely thin and impure.
Gold Filled – A thin layer of gold over a base metal. To be classified as gold-filled, a piece must be at least 1/20 gold by weight.
Gold or Gilt Lined – A transparent bead with a gold coloured lining to its hole. Not as hard wearing as silver lined beads, and the gold coloured lining may be lost over time.
Gold Plated – Means that a base metal, such as brass, has been covered with a thin layer of real gold. This must conform to an industry standard thickness of .15mm to .25mm and of at least 10 carats. 10 carats means that the metal contains 10 parts gold to 14 parts other metals (24 carats is pure gold). See also rolled gold and gold filled.
Goldstone – See aventurina.
H
Half-Hitch Knot – Serves a similar purpose to the overhand knot, and can be used for securing tail ends of threads and weaving in new ones. See illustration below for how to tie:
Head Pin – A short length of wire ending in a ‘head’ to prevent the bead falling off (a seed bead can be used to add a little extra diameter if needed). Generally head pins end in a tiny round of metal soldered on horizontal to the wire, but look out for decorative ‘heads’.
I
Illusion Cord – Soft and flexible ‘invisible’ cord, for use in floating and illusion designs as it can be knotted to hold the beads in place (or you can use glue or discreet crimp tubes).
Inlaid – A pattern that has been set into a surface, leaving the overall surface level.
Inside Colour – See colour lined.
J
Jewellery Wire – In general this is aluminium, brass, copper, silver, gold, silver-plated, gold-plated or gold-filled wire. This wire is sold in several sizes, called gauges, with the larger gauge wire being smaller in diameter. You can buy coated wires in all sorts of fabulous colours.
Jump Rings – Circles of wire with a split used to join together different jewellery parts.
K
Knot Cup – Another name for a calotte.
L
Lace Beads – Another name for millefiori beads
Lampwork – Glass beads made by hand with a flame torch and finished in kiln. They tend to have larger holes than machine-made glass beads, as they are constructed around a mandrel (a metal rod).
Lariat – An open ended (with no clasp) necklace that can be worn in all sorts of imaginative ways. Generally about 48 inches / 121.9 cm in length as this allows for wrapping, draping and loose knotting.
Lattimo – See milk glass.
Lucite – A form of plastic.
Lustre – A slightly shiny, often gold or coloured, transparent finish applied to transparent and opaque beads.
M
Matinee – This is a necklace with a length between 20 inches and 30 inches / 50.8 cm and 76.2 cm.
Matte – Not shiny. Matte beads have usually been chemically etched.
Milk Glass – Usually white (but sometimes has coloured dyes added) this glass is almost opaque but with a degree of translucency that somehow diffuses the colour. Can look similar to a glazed porcelain. Lattimo is the italian name for this glass, from the italian for milk latte.
Millefiori – This term is applied to glass beads that have been produced using a particular technique, it literally means thousands of flowers (mille is italian for thousand, and fiori is flowers) for that describes the patterning on the beads. Millefiori beads have plain glass cores to which thin slices of cut glass cane (known as murrine) have been applied to the surface. Each of the canes has been made up of many smaller canes arranged so that the cross-section creates a flower-like pattern. Beads can be decorated with a few murrine, or the whole surface can be covered with them. This is a technique that many polymer clay artists have borrowed from for producing their beads. Millefiori beads can only be produced by hand so the best examples can be very expensive. Occasionally these beads are also referred to as lace beads or mosaic beads.
Miracle Beads -These plastic beads have a silver mirror-like core to which very thin layers of colourful lacquer are applied, they are then finished with a clear coating that contains UV inhibitors. Light passes through the outer coating, the lacquer layers and reflects back from the mirrored core. The result is a shimmering illusion of great depth. Japan produces many miracle beads.
Memory Wire – Tempered stainless steel wire with excellent ‘memory’ (shape retaining property), so it is nigh on impossible to bend it out of shape. Memory wire comes in coiled loops of different dimensions, i.e. bracelet, necklace or ring sized. Don’t use your jewellery pliers with this wire it is just too tough. Use household pliers or specialist memory wire cutters.
Monofilament – This product was originally produced as fishing line, and is a cheap way of producing jewellery designs. It is strong (although not as sturdy as beading wire) and comes in lots of colourful options. Monofilament is straight-forward to use as it is stiff enough to not require a needle and generally can be knotted (might need to add a drop of glue to secure).
Mosaic Beads – Another name for millefiori beads.
Murano Glass – The island of Murano, Venice has been home to glassmakers for many centuries and their skill is world renowned. Many beads are still made by hand on this island and sold around the world. The style and quality of Murano glass beads is something that many other makers aspire to and emulate, but only beads produced on the island should be termed Murano beads, other beads are Murano-style.
N
Nylon Beading Thread – Like an upscaled version of nylon sewing thread in appearance. This thread is strong, supple and drapes well. It is good for use with lightweight beads such as seed beads, and for bead weaving.
Nymo – A nylon thread that was originally developed to be used as a stitching thread in the manufacture of shoes. It is strong, supple and perfect for beading with seed beads. Use with a beading needle.
O
Opaque – Will not allow light to pass through.
Opera – A long necklace of approximately 28 inches to 32 inches / 71.1 cm to 81.3 cm. It is worn as a single strand and may have a clasp closure or be permanently joined end to end.
Overhand Knot – Useful knot for tying off ends of thread, anchoring seed beads and incorporating new threads into a piece. See illustration below for how to tie:
P
Patina – This term when applied to jewellery usually relates to something having the signs or appearance of age. This can be genuine – i.e. through the oxidation of metal, or artificially applied in order to make a component or beads look old.
Pendant – An ornament that hangs from a necklace.
Pewter – A metal made from an alloy containing tin, lead and sometimes copper and antimony.
Picasso – A opaque marbled or mottled finish applied to a glass bead. This finish can give the bead the appearance of being of ceramic or a semi-precious stone.
Polymer Clay – Polymer clay is a clay-like material made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plasticizer, and pigment. It comes in a huge variety of colours and has great versatility as a medium. It can be baked/cured in a domestic oven.
Pony Bead – A size 6/0 seed bead is sometimes referred to as a pony bead. Plastic pony beads are also available in every hue and they are a perfect cheap starter bead for children to work with as their hole size is generous. Pony beads aimed at the young beader come in all manner of novelty shapes, aside from the barrel shape of the original.
Precious Metal – There are only three: gold, silver and platinum. All others are classified as base.
Pressed Glass – A glass bead making technique whereby heated glass rods are put into a two piece mould and the two halves brought together to create the three-dimensional shape. A needle pierces a hole in the molten bead. By making use of patterned canes (the glass rods fed into the machine) the resulting beads can be elaborately coloured, often giving the beads a slightly random appearance, even if the shape is exactly the same. One `feed’ of a hot rod might result in 10–20 beads, and a single operator can make thousands in a day. Because the bead hole is created by the introduction of a wire into the glass, rather than the bead being created around the wire (see lampwork), it is possible to produce a bead with two or more holes. When the technique was devised in the 19th century it was the first radical change in glass bead-making for over 2,000 years! Pressed glass beads are most commonly made in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Princess Length – A necklace length slightly longer than a choker. Usually 18 inches / 45cm long including the clasp.
Q
R
Raku Finish – Aurora Borealis finish applied to a matte bead.
Reamer – A tool with a tapered point used to enlarge holes in pearls and stone beads.
Rivière – Necklace of (precious) stones graded in size from a large central stone.
Rocaille – Is a word that now often is used generically to mean seed bead. Historically, it is a French made ‘seed’ bead with a silver (or gold) lined bead with a square hole (the square hole works as a inner facet to reflect the light).
Rolled Gold – A sheet of a base metal is laminated with a very thin sheet of gold (which must be at least 10 carats). The two layers are heated to fuse them then the sheet is rolled into a thin sheet from which jewellery items are made.
Rondelle – A bead in a rounded shape with a flattened off top and bottom, and with a central hole.
Rope Necklace – A long necklace of 40 inches to 45 inches / 101.6 cm to 114.3 cm. A clasp is not necessary with this length of necklace. The classic look for a rope necklace is a string of pearls 1920s style.
Round Nose Pliers – These pliers have tapered circular section jaws. You will need these for putting smooth bends and forming circular loops in wire. Perfect for finishing off head pins and eye pins when making earrings or charm dangles. The tapered round jaws can be used for making jump rings, or simply opening and closing them.
S
Satin Beads – Glass beads with a striated, satin-like appearance.
Sautoir – A very long rope-style necklace (finishing below the waist of the wearer) often ending in a tassel or pendant. Popular in Edwardian times and with 1920s flappers.
Sea Glass – Glass tumbled to a smooth matte finish by the washing of the tide along with the sand found in such environments. Sea glass is found upon the shoreline, and may have originated from a piece of jetsam dropped into the sea centuries ago (certain colours of glass indicate an historic provenance – i.e. black glass from 18th century gin, wine and beer bottles). Inevitably imitation sea glass is available, made to mimic its appearance, but created less romantically in a stone tumbler.
Seed Bead – Small glass beads, named for their dainty size. Generally made of glass, although metal and plastic are also used. They come in a seemingly endless range of colours and finishes and they are very versatile in their use. Seed beads come in a range of shapes, most commonly they have a rounded doughnut shape, but the appearance of this varies between manufacturers. Also popular is a cylindrical shape, often precision made, perfect for very uniform work when producing heavily beaded items or pieces made on a bead loom. Cylindrical beads tend to have a larger hole so they allow for multiple passes of the thread in complicated designs. Other shapes include a teardrop with an off-centre hole (Magatama), triangles, cubes, beads with six sides (hexs), beads with two-facets (two-cuts) and one-facet (Charlottes). Wonderful pieces of jewellery can be constructed from seed beads alone.
Semi-Precious Stones – Also known as gemstones, these are stones produced from organic sources such as rocks, stones, plants (amber) and animals (pearls). Generally they are less valuable than precious stones (diamonds, rubies and emeralds etc.), although very rare or high-quality semi-precious stones can be as costly.
Silk Cord – Made up of twisted strands of silk. Traditionally this is used for stringing pearls and lighter semi-precious beads as it gives a lovely fluid movement and it won’t damage the beads.
Silver Colour – Means that a base metal, such as brass, has been covered with a thin layer of silver but this will be extremely thin and impure. Silver colour items are prone to wear and polishing to remove discolouration may eventually rub away the outer layer. Sometimes the expression silver-finished or silver-washed will be used instead.
Silver Lined – Transparent glass beads lined with a silver colour. Coloured glass silver lined beads have a special brilliance and sparkle. Silver lined bead are harder wearing than colour lined ones
Silver Plated – Means that a base metal, such as brass, has been covered with a thin layer of silver which must conform to an industry standard of 0.15mm to 0.25mm thickness. The silver plating must be at least 92.5% silver. Silver-plated items are prone to wear and polishing to remove discolouration may eventually rub away the plating.
Sterling Silver – Pure silver is very soft so most silver used for quality jewellery is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper or other alloy. All sterling silver must be 92.5% silver (or higher) and may be denoted as such with the use of the ‘925’ stamp. Occasionally you may see the phrase ‘made from sterling silver’ to describe goods that are manufactured from sterling silver, but which, due to the manufacturing process of the goods, may not test as .925 sterling silver because of the amount of manufacturing residue left on the product – this may be true of small and very intricate beads. Sterling silver will tarnish over time if it is in contact with air, but this surface discolouration can be polished away.
Spacer Bead -Small or thin beads used between the ‘main’ beads in a design. Their function can be to space out feature beads; or to add length to a piece – often at less cost that using the equivalent length in other beads; to hide large holes or to help with the articulation and drape of a piece.
Spacer Bar – A component used to hold apart and in position multiple stranded designs. Used at regular intervals throughout the piece or at either end. Useful for necklaces as the natural curve of the neck can result in strands of beads sitting on top of each other. Also help prevent tangling.
Split Ring – An alternative to the jump ring, these have a double coil of metal so provide a very secure joining method. Harder to open as they are like very tiny key rings (and they are bad enough), but you can get a special split ring tool to assist you.
Stopper Bead – A bead used to stop other beads falling off a thread whist you are working. Pass your thread through the bead and then through the bead again from the same side. For clarity use a bead of a different colour. Remove before finishing off the piece. Alternatives are a piece of low-tack masking tape, a paper clip, bulldog clipes or a commercial product called a ‘bead stopper’ (a coil of wire that grips the thread).
Sugar Beads – see confetti beads.
Surgeon’s Knot – Can be used for tying two ends of thread, string, cord together. See illustration below for how to tie:
Surgical Steel – Useful for jewellery components as it is a non-allergenic material (when left uncoated).
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Thong Ends – Another name for folding crimps.
Thread Conditioner – Acts to prevent thread from tangling and also to make the thread stronger. Beeswax can be used as a conditioner, but you can also buy commercial products such as Thread Heaven. Thread the needle, run your thread through the wax and then run through your fingers to remove excess wax.
Tiger Tail – A beading wire made up of 7 strands of wire, with a plastic coating. ‘Tiger Tail’ has become a generic term for this type of wire. The plastic coating can be coloured, so you can match wire to your beads.
Tin Cut – A faceting process carried out by hand. The bead was placed on a notched wooden stick and then held against a rotating tin wheel to create the facets. Because the facets are hand cut, the facets may be slightly irregular in size if examined closely.
Translucent – Some light can pass through, but it is not possible to see through clearly.
Transparent – It is possible to see through and light passes freely.
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Vermeil – Gold plating over sterling silver. The gold plating must be 10 carat or higher. Vermeil components are of better quality than gold plated items as the item plated is of sterling silver. As with any plated item, the plating can eventually wear away.
Vintage – Beads more than 10 years old, or no longer in production.
Vitrail – An iridescent finish with silver, yellow, green and red hues.
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White Heart Beads – Transparent beads with an opaque white core, and a white lined hole. The outer part of the bead is coloured. This type of bead has been produced since the 15th century. Historically green and yellow heart beads were also produced, but as far as I know these are no longer manufactured.
Wire – As distinct from beading wire which is constructed to be like a metal thread, this is wire in its usual form. All the common metal types are available in wire form, and copper and aluminium wires come in a rainbow of colours. Wire is supplied in different gauges (thicknesses) which are denoted by a number according to an american system or by its diameter in mm. Wire is available in four different levels of hardness: dead soft, soft wire, half-hard and full-hard. Memory wire is the hardest of all the wire types. Wire comes in a wide variety of cross-sections such as round, triangular and square.
Dead soft wire can be easily bent and broken with the hands, so any shape produced is vulnerable to becoming damaged or distorted. Good for wire wrapping of larger beads or stones, and thicker wire can be used.
Soft wire is very similar to the above, but is slightly tougher.
Half-hard is the most versatile type of wire as is soft enough to bend, but strong enough to act as a functional component in jewellery – i.e. for use as an earwire or eye pin. Use the correct cutters with this wire.
Full-hard is stronger than half-hard and can be trickier to work with, again suited for use where you need reliable strength and form. Use the correct cutters with this wire.
Wire Jig – A device used to bend wire into elaborate shapes, and to replicate the shape time and again. Commercial jigs are available, but a simple one can be made at home by hammering nails into a piece of wood. The wire is bent against or looped round the nails.
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