Beads N Crafts - Jersey's Bead Shop and Craft Workshop Venue

Handmade Jewellery? Beading Jargon more like!

One thing I've discovered while working with handmade jewellery is that the world of beads, charms and findings is composed of it's own unique jargon - and it has taken me years to get to grips with some of the nuances and subtleties!

Here you'll find some of the notes I've made, written up for you - so that hopefully you can get the hang of the beading lingo more easily than I did.

I'm constantly working on improving the information here, and would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions!

I hope you enjoy my dictionary,

Mark Sallai

A

• Abalone – Abalone is a mollusk whose shell is iridescent on the inside. Abalone is a source of mother of pearl, which is used in jewellery making.
• AB mother of Pearl – Aurora Borealis is a trade name used to describe a kind of finish added to crystal beads. Aurora Borealis first made its introduction in the mid fifties, after the Swarovski Company made important advances in crystal production. By experimenting with the manufacturing processes by coating crystals with extremely thin layers of metal and vaporizing in a vacuum, they were able to increase the sparkling power of the crystal. Also used on shells to give an extra lustre
• Accent Bead – A bead which is larger than other beads in a project. It is often an unusual shape, color or pattern used to contrast from the rest of the project in order to become the focal point of the project.
• Acrylic Resin – Transparent man-made resins used in making molded plastics.
• Agate – A hard fine-grained semiprecious stone with variously colored bands, markings, and areas of clouding that is a form of chalcedony. It comes in many colors and is often dyed for a more consistent and vibrant color. Its use in jewellery can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians who used it as a gemstone, and it is the stone traditionally used to carve cameos.
• Alloy – Alloy is a metallurgical term that refers to a mixture of two or more metals. Most metals used in jewellery are alloyed together, either to alter the metal's color, or to give it greater strength. Common examples of alloys include bronze (a mixture of copper and tin), brass (copper and zinc), and pewter (tin with antimony, copper and sometimes lead).
• Amazonite – Amazonite varies in color from yellow-green to blue-green and may also exhibit fine white streaks. Articles made of amazonite were found in Ancient Egypt, but the Pikes Peak district of Colorado, U.S., became the most important source of amazonite after 1876. When samples were unveiled at the Centennial Exhibition, their impressive purity and size eventually forced competing Russian mineral dealers out of business.
• Amber – Rich, golden, and clear like frozen honey, this featherweight "stone" is really petrified tree sap and not a mineral at all. It is found mostly in northern European countries and Russia. While clarity plays a large part in its value, pieces that contain trapped insects are even more highly prized! Because Amber is an organic fossil, it can be affected by alcohol and other chemicals. Care should be used to avoid spraying perfume or hairspray on Amber. When rubbed, Amber can produce static electric charges too. Amber found quite a bit of popularity as a jewellery item in the Roaring 20’s and it has remained a classic favorite ever since.
• Amethyst – It is a variation of Quartz and gets its purple color from the presence of iron in the mineral. It is found lining the inside of Geodes ~ big hollow rocks. The clarity, color, and location of origin determine its worth, but its true value is always in the heart of the wearer.
• Aquamarine – A member of the Beryl family and sister stone to the Emerald and Ruby, this stone received its name from the ancient Greek fishermen who believed it protected them from the dangers of the sea. In addition to being a traditional birthstone, Aquamarine is also the stone that represents the 19th wedding anniversary.
• Aurora Borealis – Aurora Borealis is a trade name used to describe a kind of finish added to crystal beads. Aurora Borealis first made its introduction in the mid fifties, after the Swarovski Company made important advances in crystal production. By experimenting with the manufacturing processes by coating crystals with extremely thin layers of metal and vaporizing in a vacuum, they were able to increase the sparkling power of the crystal.
• Aventurine – Aventurine is a member of the Quartz family. It is most commonly found in a forest green color, but can also be found in orange, brown, yellow, blue, and gray.

B

• Bail – An oval, teardrop, or D-shaped metal component used to connect pendants to a chain. It is meant to slide onto the chain rather than to be soldered to it so that the pendant is not permanently part of the chain.
• Bali Beads – Sterling silver beads originally made in Bali but now made in many parts of the world. They have many intricate and unique designs that add interest to jewellery pieces.
• Bangle – A bangle is a style of rigid bracelet that slips over the hand or closes with a clasp.
• Barrel Clasp – A method of securing two ends of a chain together whereby one half of a threaded screw fits into the other half. When the two halves are screwed together they resemble a barrel.
• Base Metal – Any non-precious metal such as nickel, zinc, copper or brass.
• Bead Board – Bead boards are used for stringing necklaces and bracelets. Boards provide ease of layout, design, coordination and convenient measuring and come in a range of styles and sizes.
• Bead Caliper - A tool for measuring bead size
• Beading Cone – A fashionable way to end a multi-stranded necklace. The metal cone covers the ends of the strands, which are tied together in a knot inside the cone.
• Beading Needles – Beading needles have sharp ends and are shaped like long sewing needles. They are, however, much thinner and have smaller eyes and do not taper at the end. The eyes are small enough to fit through tiny bead holes. They come in several sizes based on their length and thickness.
• Beading Thread – Beading thread is used to string or sew beads into jewellery or accessories or onto garments as embellishment. Both natural and synthetic fibers are used for beading threads and each type of thread has unique properties that are best for specific beads and projects.
• Beveled – Any surface that is cut at an angle less than 90 degrees.
• Bezel – A bezel is the metal case or rim into which a gemstone is set. A bezel setting is a technique of setting a stone in jewellery. Typically the stone is held in place by first soldering the bezel, or metal ring, to the base of the jewellery piece. Next, the stone is inserted and the metal is compressed tightly around the stone.
• Bicone – Two cones connected at bases form to make this shaped bead
• Briolette –A teardrop shaped gemstone or glass bead that has been cut with triangular facets over the entire surface.
• Bugle Beads – Tube-shaped seed beads which are measured by their length and are similar to size 11/0 seed bead in diameter.

C

• Cabochon – From the French "caboche", meaning "knob/small dome", a cabochon is a stone cut into the shape of a small dome in a round, oval, rectangle, triangle, or teardrop shape without any facets.
• Carnelian – A reddish-orange or reddish-brown colored gemstone from the quartz family. It has a warm, uniform, and easily distinguishable color.
• Cats Eye – Top "A" Grade fiber optic glass beads shaped with a well defined "eye" line & uniform "eye" within the bead strand.
• Chain Nose Pliers – Pliers that are rounded on the outside but have flat inside edges. They are good for gripping wire or a jump ring, as opposed to round-nose pliers, which are better for making loops.
• Charm – Small ornament worn as a pendant or on bracelets.
• Charoite – The colors in each piece of Charoite range from bright lavender, violet and lilac to dark purple with both white, gray and black veining. It forms a swirling pattern of interlocking crystals. Royal lavender flows with chatoyant streaks of white around bits of black, peach and opalescent gray.
• Cherry Quartz – Cherry quartz is not actually quartz, but is man-made from clear glass and pink inclusions. The glass is melted in a furnace, combined with the coloring agents, and allowed to cool once it attains just the right color
• Choker – A tight-fitting necklace that is worn close to the base of the neck. May be plain or with pendants or ornamentation.
• Citrine – Pale yellow to a madeira orange in all of its glorious golden and yellow colors. The yellow color is from the presence of iron. The darker the color of citrine, the higher the grade.
• Cloisonne – Enamel with surface decorations set in hollows formed by strips of wire welded to a metal plate.
• Closed Jump Rings – Closed jump rings have been soldered, forming a continuous, strong circle. They may be used when you are connecting wire wrapped links together that need a strong joint between the links.
• Cone Bead – Necklace terminator or beading finding used to bring multiple strands together at one point to attach a clasp or be part of the design.
• Connector Bead – Any bead or finding with a ring or charm loop on each end.
• Coral – Coral is the skeletal material of calcium carbonate built up by small animals that live in colonies in the sea. Coral is usually branchlike and occurs in a variety of colors of which the most sought after are rose red to red.
• Cord Coil – A finding of coiled wire with a ring or loop to hide the knot in a necklace or bracelet that is strung on a cord. A clasp may be attached to the cord coil’s loop.
• Crimps – Small, soft metal beads that are squeezed together to secure loops of stringing materials onto clasps.
• Crimp Cover – Small open metal beads that can be squeezed together to cover crimp beads for a cleaner, more secure look.
• Crimping Pliers – Crimping pliers have one basic use which is to crimp beads. Each set of pliers has two indentions on their inside surfaces. The one closet to the handle is the crimper and makes a dimple in a crimp bead. The indention closest to the tip of the pliers is called the rounder and finishes off the crimp by squeezing the crimp bead into a round shape.
• Crystal – In the gem industry, the name "Crystal" usually refers to clear quartz and its derivatives. It can also refer to manmade glass gems like Austrian Lead Crystal and Chinese Crystal.
• Cubic Zirconia – Synthetic gemstone developed in 1977 to simulate a diamond.
• Curved Nose Pliers – This tool with its bent, curved nose with teeth is great for bending looped or coiled wire ends.
• Czech Glass Beads - have the same vibrancy and shine as the Swarovski crystal, yet are a more cost effective alternative.

D

• Dangle – Any part of a piece of jewellery that hangs free and can move with the wearer. Dangles add motion to a piece.
• Dichroic Glass – Dichroic glass is a material used to make exquisite and vibrant beads, pendants and cabochons by processing multiple micro layers of metal oxides. These glass products have a distinctive and intensely colorful metallic appearance which changes as the piece is viewed at different angles.

E

• Enamel – Colored, opaque glassy material fused onto metal, pottery or glass.
• End Cap – Finding used to hide the knot that ties multiple strands in a necklace or bracelet. Also known as "bell caps."
• Eye Pin – A long, straight metal pin which has a loop on one end. It is used to stack beads and charms which will be connected to another pin in a design.

F

• Facet – A surface of a cut gem, glass or crystal.
• Feldspar – Feldspar is not a single mineral. It is a group of minerals related to each other in structure and chemical composition. Feldspar minerals are aluminum silicates of either potassium, sodium, or calcium.
• Filigree – Filigree is the term used to describe ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces. These intricate patterns typically resemble rosettes, spirals, or vines.
• Fimo – A brand of polymer clay. Polymer clay comes in many different colors and can be shaped into beads, which are then hardened by baking.
• Finding – Any item used to attach bead work while making jewellery.
• Fish Hook Earring – A fishhook-shaped earring where the hook end hangs from the lobe of a pierced ear.
• Flat Nose Pliers – The flat nose pliers have flat, straight ends that do not taper. The inside surface is smooth (to avoid making marks on the wire or findings). They are primarily used to bend wire at angles, to open and close jump rings and to squeeze bead tips closed.
• Fluorite – A beautiful transparent mineral found in many parts of the world. Because it is so soft, Fluorite is not technically considered to be a gemstone but is still sometimes labeled as such. Pure fluorite is colorless, but it often has trace elements in the mineral resulting in purple, blue, green, red and yellow colors.
• Focal Bead - A big beautiful bead that takes centre stage in your finished jewellery.
• Foil Bead – A thin leaf of metal placed behind a gem or paste stone to heighten its color or brilliance.
• Freshwater Pearl – These pearls can be found naturally in freshwater locations or be man-made. They can be found in many different sizes, colors and shapes.

G

• Garnet – The January birthstone, Garnet is among the most popular gemstones on the planet. Mostly known for its blood red color, Garnet is a favorite choice for use in making rosaries.
• Gemstone – A precious or semiprecious stone that may be used as a jewel when cut and polished.
• Gold Plate – A piece of jewellery with a wafer thin coating of gold electroplated or mechanically plated onto a base metal.
• Gold-Filled – A gold alloy plate made by soldering, brazing, welding or other means that is not less than 10K fineness, where the plating constitutes at lest 1/20th of the weight of the metal in the entire article. The term must be preceded by the karat fineness of the plating, such as 14K gold filled.
• Goldstone – Often mistaken or misrepresented as a natural material, goldstone is a type of synthetic glass made with copper or copper salts in the presence of a reducing flame.
• Goldtone Metal – Jewellery finished with a gold colour rather than the actual precious metal.

H

• Hammered – Giving metal surface marks and textures by hammering.
• Headpin – A long straight metal pin that is used to stack beads and charms which will hang from ear wires, bracelets or necklaces.
• Hematite – Hematite occurs as a silvery, shiny opaque stone that almost looks like metal. Hematite is heavy and a relatively hard mineral, comprised primarily of iron and has some magnetic features.
• Horn Bead – Beads made from ox or cow horn.

I

• Iridescent – An optical phenomenon characterized as the property of surfaces in which hue changes according to the angle from which the surface is viewed (as may be seen of soap bubbles and butterfly wings).
• Ivory – A hard, smooth yellowish-white substance made from the tusks of elephants and walruses.

J

• Jade – This stone, in varied shades of green, is made up of different silicate minerals of the calcium- and magnesium-rich amphibole mineral. Originally prized for its toughness and used in tools and weapons by prehistoric man
• Jasper – Jasper exhibits various colours, but chiefly brick red to brownish red. The polish on jasper will often be washed away in water. Clean your jasper jewellery with a soft dry cloth.
• Jump Ring – Finding used to join 2 or more pieces of chain or other findings.

K

• Kidney Earring Wires - Earring wires that go through the ear lobe and hook in the back. Works well for delicate jewellery and can be secure if there is enough tension where the front and back come together.

L

• Lampwork Beads – Beads made by heating a rod of glass with a blowtorch then spinning the resulting thread around a metal rod. When the base bead has formed, other colors of glass are added to create individual designs.
• Lapis Lazuli – Lapis lazuli occurs in various shades of blue with some qualities being speckled with white calcite and some with yellow. The finest Lapis lazuli is even blue color with little or no veining from other elements.
• Lariat – An open ended necklace that is held together by a flexible element such as a drop or ring. Length is 48" or longer.
• Lever back – An earring for pierced ears that has a back that bends and latches behind the ear.
• Lobster Clasps – A lobster clasp is a clasp for a necklace or bracelet that has an elongated hook resembling a lobster claw. The hook has a spring mechanism and opens to clasp a small ring on the other end of the chain or strand.
• Lucite - a transparent thermoplastic acrylic resin

M

• Malachite – Malachite is a famous and very popular semi-precious stone. It is named for the Greek word for "mallow", a green herb. Its banded light and dark green designs are one-of-a-kind, and give it a unique ornamental quality unlike that of any other stone. The light and dark green bands are so distinctive that malachite may be one of the most easily recognized minerals by the general public. A popular design of ceramic ware which imitates this banding, is named after the mineral malachite. Malachite is also popular in jewellery, Native American Southwestern jewellery especially. The stones inlayed in silver make a nice variance from the traditional turquoise jewellery.
• Marcasite – A mineral with the same composition as pyrite, (fool's gold), and often called "white iron pyrite", but differing in crystal structure. It can be faceted like a gemstone and is often used in sterling silver jewellery.
• Matt – A dull finish, particularly on metals. ( always knew you were part robot)
• Memory Wire – Memory wire is so-called, because it remembers its shape. Its core is steel. That is why the wire has to come in different sizes, because although you can loosen the coils a bit, to make them a little larger, they will always be strong round coils. This can be handy, because the wire bracelet, choker or ring won't need a clasp, and will 'snap' gently closed around the wearer.
• Millefiori – Created by fusion of several glass rods arranged so that the cross-section creates a flower or pattern with a mosaic-like appearance.
• Murano Beads - Murano beads are intricate glass beads influenced by Venetian glass artists .Most Murano beads are made using the wound lampworking or torch and mandrel technique, an approach which was invented by a Murano glass-master in the 1700's
• Moonstone – Moonstone with its unique silky shimmer is a variety of feldspar, of which almost two thirds of all the rocks on Earth consist. Moonstone’s shimmer is caused by light rays, which are refracted and scattered in the stone. Moonstones come in a variety of colors. The body color can range from colorless to gray, brown, yellow, green, or pink.
• Mother of Pearl - The pearlescent material on the inside of mollusk shells like abalone, oysters, and mussels

O

• Obsidian – Obsidian is the result of volcanic lava coming in contact with water. Often the lava pours into a lake or ocean and is cooled quickly. This process produces a glassy texture in the resulting rock. Iron and magnesium give the obsidian a dark green to black color.
• Onyx – Onyx is part of the chalcedony family of colored quartz, which includes agate, cornelian and jasper. The striking black and crisp lines of onyx make it especially popular for jewellery.
• Opal – Opal is made of the same ingredients as quartz, except it contains a little water and has not been compressed into crystals. As a result, it is softer than quartz and has to be treated a little more carefully to avoid damage.
• Opalite - A very attractive, glowing, almost iridescent glass product which is specially treated. It vaguely resembles milk opal, with an almost silvery blue cast. It is not real opal.
• Opaque – A substance which is not transparent or translucent. I.e. a substance that does not allow light to pass through it.
• Open Jump Rings – Simple wire loops used to connect jewellery parts, like attaching a clasp to a necklace.

P

• Pearl – Pearls fit into two categories, freshwater and saltwater. As their name implies, freshwater pearls are formed in freshwater mussels that live in lakes, rivers, ponds and other bodies of fresh water. By contrast, saltwater pearls grow in oysters that live in the ocean, usually in protected lagoons.
• Pendant – An ornament suspended from a single chain.
• Peridot – Peridot is an ancient stone, mined at least as long ago as the ancient Greeks. Peridot is also often called chrysolite or olivine, which is the proper name for the mineral. Its color is its most important quality, and can range from yellow green to a striking chartreuse.

Q

• Quartz – A broad term meaning very hard mineral composed of silica. Many gemstones are quartz, including crystal quartz, citrine, opal, agate, rose quartz, amethyst, and tiger's eye.

R

• Reamer – A small tool with a fine, long pointed rough tip used to enlarge bead holes.
• Resin – A solid or semi-solid organic (carbon based) material, either natural or synthetic.
• Rhinestone - A colorless potash-and-lead glass that contains quartz in the form of melted lead crystal and is cut like a diamond. Also called strass, diamante.
• Round Nose Pliers – Pliers with long smooth pointed tips ideally used for making wire loops.

S

• Satin Cord – Satin cord comes in many colors and three main thicknesses: 1mm, 1.5mm and 2mm. Satin cord is perfect for knotting or stringing a few large beads. Cording is also made in cotton or hemp and is useful in stringing large beads.
• Satin Finish – A series of tiny parallel lines scratched onto a surface with a wire brush or polishing tool to produce texture
• Seed Beads – Available in an amazing array of colors, finishes, and styles, they are most often used in bead weaving and loom work. Larger sizes are smaller, with 11/0 being the most common.
• Silver-Plated – A fine silver film deposited on a base metal by electrolysis, in the same kind of electrically-charged bath used to make gold electroplate. The film can be as thin as seven millionths of an inch. A silver plate item cannot be called sterling or bear a marking of ’silver’.
• Silvertone Metal – jewellery finished with a silver color with very little appreciable measurement of weight in silver.
• Slider – An ornament with a tube on the back. A cord or necklace can then be threaded through the tube allowing the ornament to slide along the length of the cord or necklace.
• Sodalite – Like its famous cousin, lapis lazuli, sodalite is a rich and lustrous dark royal blue stone ideal for use in jewellery and ornamentation.
• Spacer Bar – jewellery finding used to hold multiple strands of beads in alignment and prevent tangling, are inserted at intervals while stringing the beads.
• Spacer Beads – Any small bead can be used as a spacer. Spacer beads are often unnoticeable (on purpose) but serve an important function in the spacing of a jewellery design. Pictured are metal beads.
• Split Ring – Double wire rings (like a keychain), used to connect different parts of a piece of jewellery. Split rings are more secure than jump rings but also bulkier.
• Spring Clasp – A very common kind of clasp used for joining two ends of a necklace.
• Sterling Silver – Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver metal. Silver clasps are often marked with ".925" to indicate they are sterling. Since pure silver is such a soft metal findings and beads are made with 92.5% sterling (vs. 100% sterling) and mixed with a stronger metal to achieve the desired stability and hardness. The majority of our sterling is made in Bali, India, and Turkey.
• Stopper Bead – A stopper bead is a bead you add to the end of your thread to stop your other beads from falling off the thread while you work on the piece.
• Stretchy Cord – This stretchy plastic stringing material is great for any jewellery piece that needs to slide over a hand, neck or foot. It is usually finished with knotting.

T

• Tiger-Eye – Tiger's eye is a variety of quartz with very fine, similarly-oriented fibrous inclusions. When this gemstone is properly cut into cabochon or bead form, it sometimes produces a chatoyant effect (changeable luster). Tiger's eye typically displays a series of lustrous alternating honey yellow and brown bands. Its color comes from hydrous oxide (limonite).
• Toggle Clasp – A type of clasp consisting of a bar which fits into a loop, on the same principle as a button. Good for thicker necklaces. This clasp can also be used to make a necklace that clasps in the front. The clasp is a decorative part of the necklace which is then much easier to put on and remove.
• Turquoise – The color of turquoise ranges from sky blue through various shades of green to greenish and yellowish gray.

U

• Unakite – Unakite exists in various shades of green and pink and in good quality, it is considered a semiprecious stone, often used in jewellery and other lapidary work such as eggs, spheres and carvings.

V

• Vermeil – Gold-plated silver, bronze, or copper. Looks like gold, but is much less expensive. Should not be machine polished.

W

• Wire – Thin strands of metal wire provide a stringing material that is both strong and stiff enough to add structure to a beaded project. Wire is sold in different sizes which are called gauges, with smaller numbers being thicker.
• Wire Cutters – Diagonal wire cutters should cut flush. Be sure to buy yours at a craft or bead shop: hardware store cutters and pliers are usually too large and imprecise.