Cords, Threads and Wire

When choosing a cord, thread or wire you need to take into account the look of the piece of jewellery you are making and the beads you have selected. Do you require a wire that drapes or can hold its shape? Will it be exposed or covered? What size and weight are the beads that you are using, and what is the smallest hole size of the beads you have selected? Can you double up the thread if necessary?

This list is not exhaustive, and focuses on items stocked by Big Bead Little Bead.

Whichever cord, thread or wire you use, you should choose the largest diameter that will pass through the smallest bead hole in your project.

Griffin Natural Silk Bead Cord – Silk has been used traditionally as a stringing material for hundreds of years – can you imagine fine pearls strung on anything else? The silk allows a beautiful sinuous drape, but be warned that it isn’t as strong as a man-made fibre so reserve this thread for lighter beads or use fewer beads and let the natural beauty of the silk shine. This cord comes with its own needle.

Griffin Power Nylon – Specially treated nylon with double the tensile strength of conventional nylon. This thread has very little stretch and is extremely strong – ideal for stringing beads. It is great for knotting as the knots will be permanently positioned. Use with a beading needle.

Nymo is a slightly waxed stranded nylon thread that was originally developed to be used as a stitching thread in the manufacture of shoes. It is strong and slim and perfect for beading with most seed beads and light beads up to about a 6mm (use two or more lengths of thread together for extra security when working with larger beads). Use with a beading needle.

Beadalon Supplemax 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). Best used with acrylic, wood or non-abrasive beads to protect your cord from potential damage, or try using seed beads either side of larger beads to give some protection. If you are simply stringing, you can get away without using a needle with this cord. For bead weaving use a needle.

Nylon Monofilament Cord – Strong and non-stretch for stringing, but not so keen on being knotted. Use crimps or glue to secure beads if creating an illusion necklace. ). Best used with acrylic, wood or non-abrasive beads to protect your cord from potential damage. If using crystals try using a seed bead either side of the hole to protect the cord. If you are simply stringing, you can get away without using a needle with this cord. For bead weaving use a needle.

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, so it is a simple matter to cut a loop, thread on some beads, glue on some wire end beads or roll the ends over and you have a finished piece. No need to add a clasp. The wire loop you use will increase in size when you add beads so if you are making a necklace of a single round, cut at least a coil and a half length from the wire to allow for the ends to meet or overlap slightly. Don’t use your jewellery pliers with this wire as it is just too tough. Use household pliers or specialist memory wire cutters.

Beadalon Stringing Wires – Beadalon produce a range of stringing wires to meet different requirements, and to offer different colour finishes. They are made from very thin strands of wire that are twisted together and then coated with nylon.

• 0.25mm (.10”) wire is extremely thin and is good for stringing or weaving with seed beads, freshwater pearls and small semi-precious stones.
• 0.30mm (.012”) and 0.33mm (.013”) wires are very thin and good for crystals, seed beads and beads with smaller holes.
• 0.38mm (0.15”) and 0.46mm (.018”) wires are classified as small to medium in width and are good general purpose sizes. Excellent for medium to heavy weight beads of all materials.
• 0.51mm (.020”) and 0.53mm (.021”) wires are classified as medium to large in width and are suitable for work with heavier beads such as large semi-precious stones.
• 0.61mm (.024”) and 0.66mm (.026”) wires are at the larger end of the scale and accordingly are good for heavier beads.
• 0.76mm (.030”) and 0.91mm (.036”) wires are the Big Berthas of the stringing wire family, reporting for duty for the heaviest of your bead collection.
  
  

Seven Strand Beading Wire – Seven strands of fine-diameter stainless steel wire with a kink and abrasion resistant nylon coating. This is a strong general purpose wire with good drape and shape retention. Tiger Tail is the name given to a similar coated beading wire, but most wire sold under that name has only three strands within it. The Beadalon product fits more strands into the same diameter of wire, but by using thinner strands the Beadalon wires have superior flexibility and strength.

Nineteen Strand Beading Wire -Superior to the seven strand stringing wire in terms of flexibility and strength, this wire has nineteen strands of wire encased in a kink and abrasion resistant nylon coating. Very strong and near 0% stretch.

Forty-Nine Strand Beading Wire – Superior to both the nineteen and seven strand stringing wire in terms of flexibility and drape (you can knot this wire), this wire has forty-nine strands of wire encased in a kink and abrasion resistant nylon coating. Very strong with excellent kink resistance and near 0% stretch, this is the wire to give the best quality, professional looking result.

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. We hope to shortly add this wire type to our stock in a selection of gauges.

• 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.

• 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.
• 32 gauge wire = 0.20mm (0.005”) Good for wire twisting and knitting. Will fit through smaller seed beads, pearls, smaller semi-precious stones and crystals (2-3mm).
• 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.
  
  
  

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