The Bead Spot

Bead stoppers are tightly wound metal springs with loops on each end. Beaders thread the end of their stringing material through the stoppers to keep beads from sliding off of the string. As a cheaper alternative, some beaders (myself included) just tie a bead that stands out from the ones they're using in their project to the end of the thread. This is called a stop bead.

A film on a metal surface such as bronze or copper that's created by oxidation. Patina gives the metal an aged look, which many people like. It can either be produced the hard way -- over time -- or created with some household chemicals.

Round like a barrel, this type of clasp is made up of two pieces that screw together to form a secure closure. Each piece attaches to the jewelry with a loop. Because both hands are needed to operate the clasp, it's best not to use it on bracelets.

Usually made of metal, lobster clasps have a long body and a half-circle hook, a segment of which can move to open and close the hook. That segment is operated by a spring-powered lever located on the outside of the hook. Users push the lever up or down to open the clasp, then let go, which causes the moveable segment of the hook to snap shut, much like a lobster snaps its pinchers.

Multistrand clasps are made of two long pieces, each containing two or more loops for securing the threading material. One piece goes on each end of a bracelet, necklace or other jewelry item. Some multistrand clasps are closed by sliding one end into the other or with magnets. Others, like the one shown in the photo, have hooks.

Design boards are typically gray boards with grooves in them and measurement markings. By using the board, crafters can see about how many beads they need for their project and determine whether their color, style and finding choices will work for what they want to create. Design boards come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with some for mapping out bracelets, some for multi-strand necklaces and others that can be used for both bracelets and necklaces. (Photo of one style can be found here .)

This type of clasp* is a two-piece device consisting of a ring and a bar longer than the diameter of the ring. To secure the clasp, person wearing the jewelry puts the entire bar through the ring. Because the bar is longer than the ring is wide, the bar doesn’t slip back through. Most bar-and-toggle clasps are made of metal, but many websites also sell some made of gemstones, bone and other materials. Beaders can also make them with beads. *Many beaders and websites call this type of clasp a bar-and-ring clasp.

Elastic cord comes in a range of thicknesses, which are measured in millimeters, for projects that need to stretch, such as kids bracelets. It's available in several colors, including clear (shown in photo), with some cord having more than one color and/or a metallic shine. Surgeon's knots typically work best to secure elastic cord.

Split rings look just like key rings, only much smaller. Like jump rings, split rings can be used to connect parts of a jewelry piece together, but because of their tight spiral design, they're much more secure, making them a good choice to hang charms from. Also because of their spiral design, split rings can be tough to separate. That's where split ring pliers come in. One end of the nose of the pliers has a notch for separating the bands of the split ring. I've had some success opening split rings just by sliding my thumbnail between bands of the ring, but that doesn't always work.

Jewelry crafters use jump rings to connect different parts of jewelry together, to attach clasps and to make chains and chain mail. The rings are available in a variety of finishes -- gold filled, gold plated, sterling silver, copper, brass, steel, etc. -- and sizes (indicated by millimeters and wire gauge ). Most jump rings are round, but they are available in oval shapes, too.

Coating thread with beeswax before adding beads makes the string less likely to tangle (although it does not make it impossible, as I well know). Beeswax comes in mini bricks and in a clear wax dispenser such as the one shown here. Coating the string is simple. When using a beeswax brick, just hold the string against the wax with one hand as you pull the string with the other so that the whole length of string rubs up against the wax. If you have a dispenser, just pull the string through one of the notches.

Typically, beads that do not fall into the "seed bead" category are sized by their diameter, such as 3 millimeter, 4 millimeter, 5 millimeter and so on. With seed beads, size is roughly based on the number of beads in a line it would take to make an inch. Therefore, it would take about 11 size 11/0 seed beads to make an inch and 15 beads at size 15/0 to make an inch. The higher the number, the smaller the bead. This is really just a rule of thumb, though, because size varies by style. For instance, a Delica size 11 is smaller than a size 11 Japanese seed bead. The size differences aren't huge, but they are noticeable, and should be taken into consideration when mapping out a design.

Made of two-ply waxed nylon, silamide thread is often used for weaving seed beads. It's available in a wide variety of colors, which can vary by dye lot; therefore, beaders who run out of silamide in the middle of a project and need to buy more should seek thread made in the same lot to ensure the best color match. I personally had never used silamide. A bead shop owner once told me that it's harder to use than Nymo, and I just took her word for it. Other beaders, though, might highly recommend it.

AB, short for aurora borealis, is a type of bead finish that creates a rainbow shimmer, much like the natural phenomenon it's named after. It can be applied to opaque , translucent and transparent beads, and may coat an entire bead or just a small part of it, for instance, in just one facet of faceted beads.

Translucent or opal beads have some transparency to them, but because of a milky hue, are not as see-through as transparent beads are.

Transparent beads are made of see-through colored glass.

Opaque beads cannot be seen through. They may have a matte or a smooth finish.

In bicone beads, the diameter of the ends of the beads are much smaller than their center, which creates a cone shape at each end. Lengths vary; they can be short or long tubes.

Wire is measured in gauge, with higher numbers indicating thinner wire. The reason for this has to do with how wire is made: Those who make it draw it through a cast called a drawing plate to make it thinner. The more times the wire is drawn through the plate, the thinner the wire gets. Gauge number is the number of times the wire gets passed through the drawing plate.

Typically made of metal, crimp beads come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors to best match your beadwork. With the pair of pliers or crimping tool, beaders mash the sides of the crimp bead together to block beads from sliding and/or to secure the stringing material (typically tigertail or similar material).