Bead dictionary

A

Aurora Borealis (AB) Named for the northern lights, aurora borealis is a term for crystal stones that have a highly iridescent surface. The effect is achieved by vapor blasting the facets of the lower part of the crystals with an invisible, micro thin metal sheet. This stone was created by Swarovski® in 1955 in collaboration with Christian Dior.

Alphabet beads also known as Letter Beads. They are usually small beads, each one displaying a different letter of the alphabet. They are a great way to add that extra personalisation to your work and Children usually love them!

B

Baroque Pearl An irregularly shaped pearl, whether natural, cultured or manufactured. Cultured freshwater pearls are most commonly baroque, because freshwater pearls are mantle-tissue nucleated instead of bead nucleated. These pearls are rarely perfectly spherical and can appear oval or ovoid.

Bead Cap also called „end caps” and „bell caps” . A bowl-shaped component used to "cap" one or both ends of a bead to add visual interest to a design. Mostly decorative, but can also prevent beads from rubbing against each other.

Bugle beads

Bugle Beads Shapes
Name	Sketch	3D
Macco-RH
Tubes- RH
Tubes-SH
Squares-SH
Tubes-TwSH
Sguares Tw-SH
Squares-RH
Squares Tw-RH
Triangles Tw-RH
Triangles-RH
Triangles-TrH
Triangles-Tw-TrH
Pipes Bevelled-RH
Erzatz-RH
Longzatz-RH
Oblongs-RH
Corolla-RH
CorollaSup Tw-RH
Oblongs Bevelled-RH
Triangles Extra-TrH
Bugles-RH
Bugles-SH
Bugles-TwSH
2cuts-RH
3cuts-RH

C

Charlotte Beads The traditional Charlotte bead is a Czech made, size 13/0 smooth seed beads with a single flat side to it, causing it to sparkle and shine. These beads are available in a variety of colors and finishes, and are most often sold on short hanks with 12 stands per hank. Some older Charlotte beads are sold on long hanks, and can get pricey. They are also available in gold, silver and copper plate. True cut beads are simply other size beads with one or more flat cuts. Also known as "one-cut."

Crackle These beautiful glass beads are filled with random crack that are created by rapidly cooling of the glass during their creation. This sudden change in temperature causes the glass to shatter leaving interesting patterns and making each bead different and unique. The outside and hole of the bead are then reheated and allowed to cool slowly restoring a nice smooth finish to these external surface.

Cloisonné bead are formed of a metal frame which is enameled with and fired. The have evolved from an ancient technique practiced in Byzantium and China. Designs are outlined first with fine-gauge bronze or copper wire that is bent or hammered into the surface, creating cloisons that separate colors. Glass paste or powder colored with metallic oxides is applied by hand to the enclosed spaces, and the piece is fired, melting the glass. There is no limit to the objects that can be worked in cloisonné.

E

Eye beads Made from ceramic, glass, bone, wood and a variety of other materials. Eye beads have been used since the Stone Age as amulets of sorts to protect against harm from the „evil eye” and to bring good fortune to the wearer.

F

Faceted beads also called polished beads are shaped by angular cuts that reflect light. The movement of light from one facet to another creates the sparkle and flash of a stone.

G

Glass pearls also called „pearlized glass” these glass beads have a pearl coating that gives them a beautiful glean and lustre. They are very similar to real pearls and have the advantage that they can come in a range of colours and shapes.

H

Headpin A length of wire, usually straight, with one flattened or embellished end. The flattened end prevents beads from slipping off the end of the pin.

I

Indian beads also called Indo-Pacific beads, small, monochromatic drawn- glass beads first produced in Arikamedu on the southeastern coast of India. Later the beads were made in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, an Sri Lanka. Some researchers claim that Indo-Pacific beads are the precursors of modern glass seed beads, made by a similar technique of drawing the glass into thin tubes that are cut into beads, which are then polished and rounded by tumbling.

J

Jump ring a small ring or circular piece of wire that functions as a connector or fastener when used as a jewellery component. Jump rings are sometimes offered in other shapes besides round, including oval, triangle, square and more.

K

Kevlar a very strong synthetic fiber originally used in bulletproof vests and adapted to jewellery-making for its high strength, especially in relation to its thickness. It is resilient to changes in heat.

L

Lampworking also called flameworking, is basically the working of glass canes, or rods, over an open flame. Lampwork beads are handmade glass beads made by manipulating slender glass rods in front of a gas burner or in a kiln and spinning the resulting thread around a metal rod covered in bead release. When the base bead has been formed, other colours of glass can be added to the surface to create many designs. The original glassblowers or lampworkers used oil lamps, stoking the flame with handpumped bellows. Lampworking is used to create artwork, including figurines, trinkets, curios, Christmas tree ornaments, beads and much more.

M

Matte A bead finish with a satin, sometimes dull, unreflected surface rather than a shiny or reflective surface. Such beads may also be described ad frosted or velvety.

N

Needle Beading needles are specially designed to accommodate both a bead's hole and the material that threads or strings through it. Beading needle types include fine beading needles (long and short), and twisted wire , big-eye, and glover's needles, used to poke holes in leather for beading or lacing.

O

Oxidation the darkening or antiqued appearance of metal that has undergone color changes by exposure to environmental conditions like humidity and salt air. High- karat gold and stainless steel resist oxidation (combining with oxygen) or surface corrosion.

P

Polymer clay A plastic sculpting material made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), used to create jewelry beads and components. Kato Polyclay® is a brand of polymer clay.

R

Resin beads made from synthetic material, generally a variety of plastic. One of the most common resin beads is imitation amber. Resin beads come in natural looking as well as bright colors with a range of finishes. Resin beads greatest selling point is their light weight.

S

Split ring clasp A circular metal fastener with a tiny catch that pulls back a small tongue in the ring. A built-in spring puts tension on the tongue to ensure that it closes snugly when released. For security, the heavier, more durable spring-ring clasps are preferable.

Seed beads Small glass beads, often called by the French word „rocailles”, that are 2mm or smaller in diameter and range from size 8 to 22 ( The higher the size number, the smaller the bead). Ranging widely in shape and size, the most common seed beads are Czech, Japanese and the Delica and Antique brand cylindrical beads. Czech beads are very traditional, can be sold on hanks, are mostly round and can be uneven. Japanese seed beads are more uniform, come in many different colors and are usually sold loose in bags or tubes.

• Antique is a trade mark of Toho Corp. Miyuki Shoji Corp. manufactures similar beads named "Delicas". These beads are not old. Japanese seed beads made of precisely cut glass, making them uniform in shape and size and color. They have large holes compared to their diameter.

  

• Charlotte The traditional Charlotte bead is a Czech made, size 13/0 smooth seed beads with a single flat side to it, causing it to sparkle and shine. These beads are available in a variety of colors and finishes, and are most often sold on short hanks with 12 stands per hank. Some older Charlotte beads are sold on long hanks, and can get pricey. They are also available in gold, silver and copper plate. True cut beads are simply other size beads with one or more flat cuts. Also known as "one-cut."
• Crow beads are larger than Pony beads and Seed beads. The beads are made of segments of drawn tubes of glass of various thicknesses, typically slightly oval in shape due to tumbling and polishing, with the shorter dimension being through the hole. Size 33/0 (8mm, with a 2mm hole).
• Delica is a trade mark of Miyuki Shoji Corp a Japanese. Japanese seed beads are made of precisely cut glass, making them uniform in shape and size and color. They have large holes compared to their diameter. Their cylindrical shape lend them to many projects, especially loom work and Peyote stitch projects.
• Farfalle also know as „Butterfly”- These beads are shaped to look like two axe heads, witch the hole down the middle between the two halves. They may have been regarded as symbols of power between 8000 and 6000 B.C.

  

• Drop Beads that hang from a design like a dangle or as part of the fringe. They may be in the shape of a teardrop, or pressed-glass beads shaped in any number of forms, such as flowers or leaves. Drop beads are often drilled from side to side near the top, but may also be drilled vertically, depending on the bead's shape.

  

• Pony beads are larger than seed beads and smaller than crows. Beads made of segments of drawn tubes of glass of various thicknesses, typically slightly oval in shape due to tumbling and polishing, with the shorter dimension being through the hole. Also known as "E" beads, sizes 5/0 or 6/0.

Seed beads (rocailles)
Size	Length [mm]	Size	Length [mm]
20/0	1,0 mm	10/0	2,3 mm
18/0	1,1 mm	9/0	2,7 mm
17/0	1,2 mm	8/0	3,1 mm
16/0	1,3 mm	7/0	3,4 mm
15/0	1,5 mm	6/0	4,0 mm
14/0	1,6 mm	5/0	4,5 mm
13/0	1,7 mm	4/0	5,0 mm
12/0	1,9 mm	3/0	5,5 mm
11/0	2,1 mm	2/0	6,0 mm

T

Toggle clasp also called bar-and-ring clasp or T-bar clasp. A type of clasp consisting of a loop (usually a circle, but sometimes other shapes); the other piece is a ''T'' shaped bar. The clasp is closed by pulling the ''T'' shaped bar through the open loop. Immensely popular and easy to use, the toggle clasp is available in almost infinite material options and in a variety of styles, weights and designs. They are commonly used for necklaces and bracelets.

V

Vintage beads Classic beads, valued for their atique qualities, shapes, colors, materials and craftsmanship. Generally, vintage beads are more expensive than their modern counterparts because certain molds or styles are no longer available or exist in limited quantities. They are usually identified by their approximate date and country of origin.

W

Wire jewellery wire or craft wire is more flexible than conventional wire and comes in smaller size or gauges. Wire can also be used for various crafts and may incorporate beading.

Z

Zirconia also called cubic zirconia or cubic zirconium, the white crystalline zirconium dioxide, a popular synthetic gemstone which serves as a diamon imitation. Cubic zirconia has been made in the laboratory since 1976 and has been often used as a relatively inexpensive diamond substitute. It is crystal system is isometric and monoclinic. Colours may be achieved by the introduction of metal oxides, such as cerium (yellow, oranges and reds), chromium (green), neodymium (purple), erbium (pink) ad titanium (golden brown).