Bead and Jewelry-making Glossary

If you’re just getting into beadwork and jewelry-making, you’re bound to come across a few confusing words. Here’s a brief glossary to help you pin down the meaning of ‘Head Pins’ and find the definition of ‘Findings’.

Bead Cap

This is a type of metal spacer bead. It is a half-sphere shape that hugs the curve of another bead (thus “capping” the bead).

Bugle Beads

Long, thin, tube-shaped beads. They range from just under a millimetre to a few millimetres in diameter, and from a few millimetres to several centimetres in length.

Clamshell

A piece that attaches to the clasp at the end of a bracelet or necklace. Consisting of two half spheres like a clam’s shell, it is used to cover any crimp beads at the end of a piece of jewelry.

Clasp

The part of a necklace or bracelet that opens and closes so that the jewellery can be clipped on and off. There are several types of clasps, such as barrel clasps, lobster claw clasps, magnetic clasps, hook and eye clasps, spring clasps, and toggle clasps.

Crimp Bead

A small metal bead that can be “crimped” and secured in place on a piece of nylon covered wire. This is done by crushing it with a pair of pliers. Crimp beads are used to hold other beads in place on the wire.

Dichroic Glass Beads

A type of lampwork bead with a thin film of metal on its surface, allowing it to change colour as it reflects light.

Finding

This is the general name for supplies that hold the jewelry together, such as clasps, clamshells or jumprings.

Head Pin

A thin metal rod with a flat base. Beads may be strung onto the pin, the top of which can then be looped and attached to an earring hook, necklace, or other piece of jewelry.

Jumpring

A small metal ring that can be opened and closed and is used to link various elements in the jewelry.

Lampwork Beads

An ornate glass bead made using a gas torch. The torch is used to melt the glass, which is then wrapped onto a metal rod. Details are then added using various colours of glass.

Millefiori Beads

Highly patterned glass beads made by melting many canes of glass together. This bundle of glass is then sliced to produce beads with a mosaic pattern. The term “millefiori” is Italian, meaning “thousand flowers”.

Metal Spacer Beads

These are decorative metal beads that are usually strung between larger glass beads. They are often thin and flat, but they come in a variety of widths, diameters, and shapes. They are usually silver-coloured but they also come in gold, bronze and black.

Nylon Covered Wire

A bead stringing material made up of several strands of stainless steel wire covered by a thin layer of nylon. It is also known by the brand name of Tigertail. More expensive, flexible grades may be made up of as many as 49 individual strands of wire, while the basic grade is made up of 7 strands.

Seed Beads

Very tiny glass beads, typically measuring about 1 millimetre to a few millimetre in diameter. They may be used for detailed work in embroidery or may be simply strung onto a necklace.