Jewelry Making 101: Thread, Cord & Wire Quiz

Answer: Beading wire

Beading wire is your best choice here. It is very flexible, yet strong enough to hold a heavy necklace. It comes in several diameters, so you can get the strength you need for that heavy project. It also comes in several colors, so you can match your beads to the wire. You can also find many name brands (such as Accu-flex, Beadalon, or Acculon Tigertail). Speak to your local craft or bead store personnel and see what they recommend to you.

Answer: Elastic Cord

Elastic cord is great for those easy-to-make bracelet and necklaces that are so popular today. They knot easily to tie off the ends, and slide on and off without requiring a clasp.

Answer: Leather Cord

Leather cord is great for necklace cord, leather pouches, weaving, pony beads, earrings or hair ornamentation. It is good for chunky beadwork and pendants. It is also an excellent alternative for those who are sensitive to metals. Because it is a natural material (unlike the rubber or nylon), it works well for American Indian or Celtic designs.

Answer: Silk thread

Silk thread is a traditional thread used for fine gemstones and pearls. It is easily knotted so you can string your pearls so they won't rub against each other. Silk thread is easily dyed and is available in many colors.

Answer: Nylon thread

Nylon thread is also good for those "illusion" or "floating" designs if you purchase the larger, clear thread. It is best with plastic, wood or other non-abrasive beads.

Answer: Satin Cord

The fun thing about working with satin cord is that the simplest designs can be used. The cord makes the design simply elegant with a few beads or a pendant as the only decoration.

Answer: Wire

Wire comes in different sizes and colors for all your design needs. The main thing to remember is that the larger the number of your wire, the smaller it is. A size 16 wire is bigger than a size 24 wire. You should also make sure you get a wire that is strong enough for the project you are working on, and that will last a long time without breaking due to wear and tear from the beads.

Answer: Memory Wire

Make sure you don't use your side cutting pliers here, because they will chip or break on this hard wire. You can finish your design with a loop or an end bead.

Answer: Kevlar Thread

Yellow, Kevlar's natural color, cannot be bleached white; however it can be dyed using regular fabric dyes. Kevlar is the thread used to make the bullet-proof vests. Use fisherman-type knots with this material as overhand knots weaken the strength of the thread.

Answer: Parachute cord

Paracord has an outer sheath made of nylon with several strands of multi-ply yarns in the core. Military issue paracord can also be made with no core. It is naturally waterproof and resists 100% of the sun's damaging ultraviolet radiation, so it won't fade or discolor.

There are other types of threads and cords, such as hemp, twine, and rubber cord. Each can be used for different projects. Experiment with a few of them, or take some classes at your local bead or craft store. And as always, these are the names of threads and cords that I use in the US. If you know of a different name for something described here, drop me a note and I'll add it into the information here.