Wholesale beads & jewelry making supplies

I am involved in many forms of beading. I string all types of beads for my jewelry. I have woven beads on a loom; used Peyote, Comanche, and other stitches; wire wrapped; etc.

When I started stringing beads I was very confused about what to string my beads on. I asked numerous experienced beaders, and I found that many of them were very adamant about the materials they used, but they tended to contradict each other. Many tended to use what ever they were taught on and had never explored the other stringing materials. I was told, “The only thing to use is Nymo, or artificial sinew, or fishing line, or silk, or Tiger tail, or upholstery thread, or horse hair, or etc.” This was all too confusing, so I decided to find out what is the best stringing material for me to use.

The “anal” part of me decided to check this out scientifically. I accumulated, and read, as much information on different stringing materials as I could find. I talked to manufacturers. I asked advice from long established jewelry designers that I respect. And, I purchased and tested as many types of stringing material as I could. Below are the results of all of that scientific study.

One very important lesson I learned is that there is no one, all-purpose (Universal) stringing material.

Here are the major stringing materials along with how and when to use each of them.

SILK THREAD: Silk has a wondrous “hand” (a soft, flexible feel). This thread comes in many sizes and colors. It comes packaged on spools, and “carded” with an attached needle. This is a classic stringing material and forms beautiful knots between pearls and beads. But, silk tends to be relatively fragile. It can stretch, be cut by abrasive beads, rot when wet, and pearls strung on silk should be re strung every few years. It is best to use silk when stringing pearls and lightweight, smooth-holed beads, only. A needle is necessary.

NYLON THREAD: (Nymo): This thread also comes in many sizes and colors. It comes packaged on spools, on bobbins, and “carded” with a needle attached. Nylon can be used where-ever silk can and is not as fragile. This material knots beautifully and can be used for pearl stringing, in some strung jewelry, seed beadwork, loom weaving, for Peyote and other specialty stitches, and heishi. Nylon stretches much less than silk, and it won’t rot when wet. Like silk, you shouldn’t use beads with sharp edged holes or that are heavy. When you use nylon thread, I would recommend you coat your thread with bee’s wax or “Thread HeavenTM “ before use to prevent it from fraying. A needle is necessary.

BONDED NYLON: This is a much stronger form of nylon thread. The strands are physically bonded together for extra strength and abrasion protection. Although it knots well, it doesn’t have the “hand” of silk. Bonded nylon comes in a variety of colors and smaller spools. Because of its abrasion resistance, you can use it with “hard”, more abrasive gem beads; in fact this comes close to being a “Universal Thread”. Brand names include: “Stringth” or “Silkon”. A needle is necessary, although you can put “Super Glue” on the end to form a “Self-needle”. This is a favorite beading material of mine.

FISHING LINE: This material is a hard, semi-rigid, single strand of plastic. It doesn’t knot well, and in time sunlight or ultraviolet light can cause it to weaken and fall apart. Fishing line is purchased on small spools and is sold in sporting goods stores. Personally, I use fishing line for two purposes. I use it to do my preliminary stringing while I am designing a necklace (I transfer the beads to a better material for the final product), and to string together “raw” strands of beads. There is no needle necessary. I would never use this material for a final beaded piece.

Let’s talk about some of the other varieties of stringing materials in use. Although I know of many more, I am only including some relatively well-known cords used in beading. (I’ve seen people use many things to string beads on, but I’m not covering following: dental floss; strips of bark; pipe cleaners; upholstery thread; stripped electrical wire; and much more.)

KEVLAR: This is the space age polymer thread that comprises the bulletproof vests that protect soldiers and police all over the world. Although Kevlar thread cuts easily, it is almost impossible to break, and it is that property that protects the vest wearers from the impact from bullets. Kevlar thread is sold on 50-yard spools and in two colors, natural yellow or black (dyed). Although Kevlar sounds like the ultimate beading thread, it does seem to have some flaws when it comes to beading. First, if this thread is folded or knotted in the wrong way, it tends to weaken and break. Second, as I said before, this thread cuts easily, so sharp edges of metal and gem beads can cut their way through it with ease.

INVISIBLE ILLUSION CORD: This is a clear, nearly invisible, nylon monofilament cord, similar to fishing line. This cord is used primarily in “Illusion Necklaces”, where you want your beads to seem to be floating around the wearer’s neck. The beads are usually held in place on the line with tiny crimp beads. Although this cord is flexible, it is still maintains some rigidity. Beyond this type of use, I would lump this cord together with fishing line.

ELASTIC CORD/FLOSS: This is a stretchy polymer cord that is used in the popular “Stretchy” or “Slip On” bracelets. There are various brands: some hold their shape, and others don’t; some are clear and others come in colors, too; most come in .5mm and .8mm widths, but some come in sizes up to 2mm; and most come in 25 meter or 75mm lengths. Elastic “Stretchy Bracelets” are very popular because they are easy to put on, no clasp shows, and “One Size Fits All”. Elastic cord can, in time, be cut by any sharp edged beads, or can be weakened by pollution. Generally, from what I’ve been told, most designers who create “Stretchy Bracelets” expect them to last at least one “season”.

WAXED NATURAL COTTON THREAD: This is a heavily waxed, tightly woven, natural cotton thread that tends to be used in beaded craft projects and leather craft. The wax both protects the thread and makes it easier to pass through beads and leather. This thread is easy to knot and the knots hold, very well. I’ve never used this thread, but I’m told that nylon is more abrasion resistant and more convenient.

ARTIFICIAL SINEW: This is primarily used in Native American beading and crafts. Natural sinew comes from the tendons of animals (deer, bison, elk, etc.). The tendons are soaked, then the sinew fibers are separated, and used for stringing, and sewing beads to leather while the sinew is still wet. When the sinew dries, it shrinks and pulls the beads together. Artificial sinew is a strong (60 lb. tensile strength), flat, multifilament, waxed, cord that is spun from a continuous filament of polypropylene fiber. The flat cord can be separated into groupings if fibers, just like natural sinew. I find that his material is fun to work with, especially when using glass and seed beads. Artificial sinew is supplied on 400-foot spools, and comes in black, white, and 2 browns.

LEATHER LACE/CORD: This rounded cord is generally cut from cowhide. This cord is used to create some beautiful jewelry, in particular, when the leather is a part of the design. Because leather cord comes in .5mm, 1mm, and 2mm diameters, you must use beads with large holes, and beware of beads with sharp edged holes. Leather cord comes in many permanent colors, and on 5-yard or 25-yard spools.

RUBBER CORD: This cord is virtually identical to, and used the same way as, leather cord, except it is made of rubber. Popular in Europe, this cord originally only came in black, but now it comes in a rainbow of colors. Like leather, you must use beads with large holes. Cord diameter sizes include: 1mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, and 4mm. Spools are 10 & 25 meters in length. I’ve seen some beautiful necklaces from Europe designed with rubber cord and a few large hole beads and/or pendants.

A number of years ago a Native American friend reintroduced me to beading. He taught me how to make dangle earrings using seed beads and the Brick/Comanche Stitch. This only whetted my appetite. I expanded my range of beadwork into other methods, such as: Peyote Stitch, Side Stitch, Lazy Stitch, Rosettes, Daisy Chains, Bead Lace, simple and complicate necklaces, etc., plus loom work. All that time I was using glass seed beads, but I wanted to move on to my favorite, Gem Beads (I’ve been a rock collector and jewelry maker since I was a kid.).

Working with Gem Beads I produced some wonderful jewelry, but I ran into a problem. After a short time some of my necklaces started to rip apart. The nylon thread and artificial sinew that had served me so well with glass seed beads could not stand up to the sharp edges of some Gem Beads. I started asking around and was introduced to nylon coated stainless steel cables. As with everything else I studied and experimented with this new medium. Here are some of the results of those experiments:

TIGER TAIL (Acculon): This was the first (& at that time, only) nylon-coated cable I was introduced to. This cable consisted of 3 strands of stainless steel wire, had a .012 diameter, and wasn’t very flexible. It came in 100’ & 300’ spools. This cable would kink easily and distort my necklaces. The kinks would weaken the cable and many times it cracked. Obviously, I discarded it. Then I was introduced to Soft Flex and have used their products, ever since.

(There is a new 7-strand Tigertail by beadalon. It has a 6.5lb. test strength, comes in gray, and in 100’ spools. I have not used it, partially because of bad experiences with Tigertail, and partially because I prefer a stronger cable.)

SOFT FLEX: This is a fine line of spun, multi-strand, nylon-coated beading cables, that was developed specifically for the bead industry. The current Soft flex cables are third (or more) generation products. They are strong, flexible, with a fine “hand” or draping ability, abrasion resistant, hard to kink, and easy to use. They have no curl and don’t need a needle. Soft flex beading cables are manufactured in 3 sizes: Fine = .014” (diameter), 21 strands, 10 lb. test; Medium = .019”, 49 strand, 26lb. test; Heavy = .024”, 49 strand, 40lb. test. They can all be purchased in silver, and most can be purchased in 24k gold, and a variety of colors, on 30’ and 100’ spools.

Soft flex Corp. recommends that beaders always use the heaviest cable possible. The heavier the cable size, the stronger, and more abrasion resistant, it is. Here are more of their recommendations:

.014 – Use with lighter, softer, less abrasive beads, such as pearls and seed beads. It offers the softness and flexibility of pearl stringing thread.

.019 – Use with small to medium glass and gem beads, Austrian crystal, 80% of pearls and seed beads, silver, and pewter. It is recommended for use when you are designing with a variety of sizes and materials.

.024 – Use with abrasive materials and designs, especially those that will involve excessive movement, such as watchbands and bracelets. Use with multi-strand designs and large gemstones. You might need a larger crimp bead.

The usual way to “tie off” the ends of Soft Flex, and all cables, is to use crimp beads. Also, Soft flex, especially the lighter sizes, can be knotted just like thread. People who like to use bead tips can knot the Cable in the bead tip and glue the knot in place. (We will cover knotting, crimping, and the use of crimp beads in a future issue of this newsletter.)

I generally follow their recommendations, especially to use the heaviest cable possible, but sometimes we must deal with practicalities. Usually, precious gem beads have the smallest holes and must be used with a smaller cable size than recommended. (The reason for the tiny holes is, they are sold by carat weight and if the holes were to be larger the carat weight would be lower.)

A few years ago, I made a bracelet for a friend to give to his girlfriend. The pattern was: three pearls, a gold bead, a Sapphire bead, and a gold bead. This pattern was repeated all along the bracelet. Because the holes in the Sapphire beads were so tiny, I used the .014 cable. Two months later my friend called and said the bracelet had fallen apart, right in the middle. Since Sapphire beads are among the hardest gems in nature (Mohs #9), their sharp edges had cut through the stainless steel cable (Mohs #6~7). Later I discussed this incident with the head of Soft Flex and he told me they do not recommend using highly abrasive gems with the .014 cable.

So, what else could I do? Here are a few ideas: *Use a bead reamer to clear out the sharp edges in and around the holes in the Sapphire beads so they will not cut through the cable. *Use a bead reamer to enlarge the holes in the beads so you can use a larger size cable.

SOFT TOUCH: Identical to Soft Flex, but twice as flexible, with only a slight increase in price. It comes in same sizes as Soft Flex, plus one more size, Very Fine = .010”, 7 strands, 5lb. test. Colors are limited and the cable comes on 30’ and 100’ spools. Soft Flex’s recommendations for .010 are:

.010” – Is designed for bead weaving, crocheting, sewing, embellishing with beads, specialty stitches (such as Peyote, etc.), #22 seed beads, and fine “Illusion Necklaces”. This size requires an extra small crimp bead for use in Illusion necklaces.

MEMORY WIRE: When this springy, coiled, stainless steel wire is strung with beads it produces beautiful, easy to put on (and remove) bracelets, necklaces, rings, etc. Based on the designed use, memory wire is produced in coils of different diameters. The approximate diameters of the coils are: Necklace = 3 5/8”; Bracelet = 2 ¼”; and the Ring = ¾”. Generally, this wire is sold in 1-ounce coils. Memory wire holds snug on the wearer. In use, designers must cut the wire into coiled lengths, based on their design. Common designs include:

1) Almost one time around (the neck, wrist, or finger);

2) One time around, plus an overlap;

3) Multiple times around, producing a spiral piece of jewelry. Since this is heavy (.024”) stainless steel, when you cut it you must use a heavy-duty flush cutter, as cutting it will destroy your fine wire cutters. I have found that clients enjoy, spiraling on, multi-coil bracelets.

Since Memory wire has a diameter of .024”, you must use beads with a larger hole, but because it is supplied, and used, in coils, it is difficult to use long beads in your design. A benefit of using this wire is; hard, sharp edged beads will not cut through it.

There are numerous ways to finish the ends of Memory wire. Here are a few:

1) Using your pliers, bend over a loop at each end of the wire (you can hang things from these loops):

2) With your pliers, fold over the end of the wire;

3) Glue on half-drilled, round, 3~5mm, metal Bead Ends;

4) Glue on Crimp Ends (w/loop);

5) Glue on a gem (etc.) bead. Use your imagination;

PRECIOUS METAL WIRE: It can be: Sterling Silver; Gold Fill; Solid Gold - Yellow & White (14k, 18k, 22k). For beading purposes, these wires are round, and come in a range of diameters (thickness) and hardness’ (malleability). The most used diameters are: (thickest) 20 gauge - .032”, to (thinnest) 28 gauge - .013”. As to hardness, most people prefer Dead-soft and Half-hard, but a few people do use Full-hard, as well. Dead Soft is the softest and easiest to work with, but it might not hold its’ shape as well. Half-hard is a little harder to work with, especially in fine wire wrap, but it will hold intricate shapes when subjected to moderate stress. Full-hard is the least malleable of the three and is the hardest to work with, but it will hold virtually any shape, especially when you need to make strong loops and clasps. No matter which hardness you use, as you use the wire (bend, twist, hit, etc.) it becomes harder. If it becomes too hard, it will break, so don’t over work it. This wire is usually sold by weight or in cut lengths, and is supplied on spools or in coils. The uses of Precious Metal Wire with beads are limited only by the craft-persons’ creativity. Here are just a few of the ways I’ve seen them used together:

1) Simple “wire wrapped” jewelry components, where a short wire is threaded through a bead (or group of beads) and a loop is created at each end;

2) Complex wire wrapped jewelry, where the wire is wrapped around itself forming a piece of jewelry and the beads are components of the jewelry.

3) Wire, with beads threaded on it, is shaped and formed by hand, or on a jig, to produce jewelry components;

4) Wire, with beads threaded on it, is crocheted to form a necklace, bracelet, etc.

5) Heavy wire is formed into a free-form cage around a large bead or object and used as a pin or pendant;

6) Drops and pendants are created by threading one, or more, beads with wire, and forming a loop at one end. Sometimes, if there is a short strand of beads on the wire, they are wound around each other forming a 3-D sculptural piece;

7) Wires are soldered together to form a design, beads are threaded on, and the free ends of the wire are formed, by hand, to complete the design.

8) The wire is wrapped around a round mandrel to form a tight spiral, and then the loops are cut to form jump rings. Beads are placed on large, heavy gauge, jump rings and then the jump rings are attached to each other to form strands.

9) Two thin wires are twisted around each other, and used as one, in many of the previous uses. The uses are endless, so let your imagination run wild. COLOR CRAFT WIRE: This is a soft, color-coated, copper, craft-wire. This relatively inexpensive, colorful wire is extremely malleable, but when it is formed it holds its’ shape relatively well. People will use this colorful wire when they want a colorful, and/or, less expensive alternative to Precious Metal Wire. Designers use this wire just like they do with the Precious Metal Wire, and again, the uses are only limited by your creativity. I find that this wire is very popular with people who like to form intricate wire designs on special shape forming jigs or coiling tools. This wire is supplied on spools in sizes from (thickest) 16-gauge to (thinnest) 28-gauge. The length of the wire on the spools varies according to the thickness of the wire.

Kenneth Jay Lane has made a career of designing opulent fakes for the well-heeled set. Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, and the Duchess of Windsor were among his famous clients in the sixties. Now he continues to sell his pieces to celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Mischa Barton, the Olsen twins, and Paris Hilton. Even Barbara Bush wore his triple-strand faux pearls when she was in the White House.

Lane successfully studied and adapted earlier styles and traditions in jewelry, and designed more-than-respectable knock-offs of Indian, Renaissance, Art Deco, Chinese jade, and pre-Columbian jewelry. Among the pieces he created for Jackie was a choker that looks for all the world like one of India’s extraordinary Mughal pieces. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear the gilt was gold and it was set with rubies, emeralds, topaz, and diamonds. Its estimated value was $300-$400. Even though several stones were missing, it sold for $9,775.

Though Lane was often considered a prince of excess, much of what he designed for Jackie was in her distinct style, simple yet classy. One pair of earrings, a variant of the classic gold hoop, seem to be made of curved pieces of gilt bamboo wound with tiny faux diamonds. The coordinating necklace featured what looked like golden (i.e. gilt) bamboo twigs linked with strands of simulated pearls. The set, which was estimated at $200-$300, sold for $10,350. Torsade is a term that describes a necklace or bracelet made of multiple strands of beads twisted together. Jackie had a truly gorgeous torsade of faux black seed pearls, with a gilt clasp covered with faux diamonds, signed by Mimi di Niscemi, another internationally known designer of costume jewelry.

Kenneth Jay Lane created earrings to match, black baroque “pearls,” topped with “diamond” pavé. This set was estimated at $400-$500 and sold for $20,700. The final jewelry offering in the catalog is a Kenneth Jay Lane set with a story behind it. The two pieces are reproductions of the Van Cleef & Arpels wedding necklace and ruby earrings that were given to Jackie by Aristotle Onassis. Interestingly, they’re not identical reproductions; Lane’s designs show slight differences. In the original necklace’s pendant, the big ruby cabochon has diamonds and emeralds beneath it. The colored stones beneath the copy’s “ruby” are not “emeralds” but “rubies.” The “gold and diamond” pattern around the gems is also somewhat different, but Lane faithfully captured the extravagant and colorful style. Sotheby’s write up quotes Lane who says that Jackie specifically commissioned these pieces from him. She was, apparently, taken a back when he told her what the design cost would be, and so they agreed that he’d absorb the cost of making the model if he could use the design in his own collection. Apparently, Jackie was quite amused when she later saw their necklace used on Dynasty. With the matching faux ruby earrings, the Lane reproduction was valued at $1,000-$1,500. It sold for $90,500.

Looking over the collection as a whole, you can draw certain conclusions. Jackie’s jewelry was an eclectic mix, encompassing almost every style—from African to Thai to Classical Revival to Renaissance to the jewels of Ancient India to the late twentieth century. She had gems from the world’s finest jewelers and an equally extensive collection of costume jewelry. And she had the boldness, or perhaps just the confidence in her own good taste, to wear it all. Simplicity seemed to be key to her singular style. Though she owned many parures, or suites of matching jewelry, she’d often only wear one piece, which somehow looked all the more dramatic for being her sole ornament.

Page 302 of the catalog shows a classic photo of Mrs. Onassis attending a gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in 1979. She’s wearing a dark strapless gown with no necklace or bracelets, just the dazzling ruby and diamond earrings that Aristotle Onassis gave her for their wedding. And as she does in almost all the photographs, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis conveys beauty and elegance and inimitable grace. One final thought: The extraordinary jewels that fill the Sotheby catalog are the gems her family didn’t want. Just imagine what they kept.