THREAD, CORD AND WIRE INFORMATION THREAD WIRE Silk is used when beading “soft” gem Kevlar This incredibly strong thread is used Memory Wire This rigid and pre-coiled wire materials such as pearls. It is also chosen for to make bulletproof vests. Easy to cut, yet makes simple and stylish finger and toe decorative use, as in weaving multi-colored almost impossible to break, it is sold in rings, bracelets and necklaces. This genuine strands. It is soft, sleek and comes in a 50-yard spools. Kevlar thread is sold in two stainless steel wire won’t rust like ordinary rainbow of colors. Sold in bulk spools and colors: the natural yellow and dyed black. cold-rolled steel memory wire sold by others. pre-carded with needle on 2-yard cards in Use fisherman-type knots when tying Kevlar, Easy to use: just make a loop on one side, black, white and a variety of colors. Use the as overhand knots weaken the strength and string on beads and finish with a loop or a colors to enhance the colors of clear beads. integrity of the thread. 1/2-drilled bead. Use in single loops or multi- (For example, use rose color with rose quartz loop combinations. to add pink, etc.) See thread weight chart Beading Wire (Accu-Flex™ and below. CORD Acculon™) Beading wire is a twisted Elastic Cord is great for slip-on jewelry ~ stainless steel wire with a plastic coating. SILK THREAD WEIGHT like bracelets, watch bands or children’s Accu-Flex™ wire is an excellent choice for necklaces. Elastic cord can be knotted abrasive beads and gives an appealing REFERENCE CHART and used with beads with larger than 1mm drape to lightweight beads such as gemstone Bead Size OO O A B C D E F FF FFF diameter holes. Terminate your strands by heishe, liquid gold or liquid silver and bugle or seed beads. It is also sold in thicker HEISHE ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ knotting or with cord caps or cord coils and weights to accommodate larger, heavier bead ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ clasp. 2MM strands. Begin and end strands by using C-Thru “Thread” is a woven clear nylon cord 3MM ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ crimp beads or crimp clasps. Acculon™ is (like fishing line, but not just a single strand). ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ great for beads with sharpened holes. No 4MM It’s great for clear beads, such as Austrian beading needle required. 6MM ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ crystal, where you want little or no cord color 8MM ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ to show through. It may also be used where Super-Thin Beading Wire This 34-gauge you would use nylon cord. It knots well and wire for beading projects comes in gold and 10MM ✔ ✔ can be used with bead tips. silver color spools; each spool contains 24 12MM ✔ ✔ ✔ yards. Use it for forming shapes, weaving Stretch Floss Cord retains its shape around findings or making dream catchers. memory longer than other elastic beading Because the thread is so fine, this wire will “Silkon” Bonded Nylon is used for “hard” cords. It takes and holds knots well. gem bead materials such as garnet, rock accommodate almost any drill hole. It is to crystal, amethyst, etc. and also used when Invisible Beading Cord is clear and nearly be used for lightweight beads only ~ bugle or stringing metal beads. These materials tend undetectable to the naked eye. Perfect for seed beads ~ as it is very thin and does not to have abrasive edged drill holes which will illusion-style necklaces. have much tensile strength. fray silk or softer cords. Bonded nylon comes Satin Cord is woven from manmade fibers in Colourcraft™ Wire is a color-coated in a wide variety of colors and knots well. three sizes: 2mm (rattail), 1.5mm (mousetail) copper-based crafting wire. It is soft and Use the colors to brighten or enhance your and 1.0mm (bugtail). Colorfast satin cord extremely malleable and retains shape bead color. Using white will brighten dark available in limited colors and weights. moderately well. garnets. Using purple will help deepen the color of light amethyst. Silkon thread is sold Macramé Beading Cord is available in a Precious Metal Wire is used for wire- in 20-yard and 100-yard spools without variety of colors. It resists fraying, threads wrapping, chain-making and other jewelry needle. See thread weight chart below. smoothly and holds knots with ease, but is construction. Available in two metals (gold- not colorfast. filled and sterling silver ), in three shapes “SILKON” NYLON THREAD Hemp Beading Cord is available in a variety (round, half-round and square) and in three WEIGHT REFERENCE CHART of weights and package sizes. It is extremely hardnesses (dead soft, half-hard and full uniform, fray resistant, knots easily and hard). Bead #1 #2 #3 maintains shape well under normal wear. Dead Soft wire is extremely malleable Size (smallest) (medium) (largest) Our hemp beading cord is colorfast. and can be bent easily into a myriad of shapes. It does not hold its shape in HEISHE ✔ Crinkled Silk Cord contains no dye stress situations, such as clasps. ✔ allergens. Silk takes and holds knots well. 2MM Half Hard wire is malleable; however, Crinkled silk cord is colorfast. 3MM ✔ it will maintain an intricate shape under 4MM ✔ ✔ Natural Cotton Waxed Cord is tightly woven moderate stress. Useful for weight- and waxed for ease of beading. Cotton cord bearing parts of wire-wrapped jewelry. 6MM ✔ ✔ ✔ takes and holds knots well and is colorfast. Full Hard wire holds its shape for 8MM ✔ ✔ Suede Lace Leather Cord is made from wire-wrapping jewelry. Its tempered 10MM ✔ ✔ genuine leather and permanently dyed so it nature holds intricate designs well. 12MM ✔ is colorfast. Excellent for clasps. Leather Cord has a smooth, round cross- Nymo This is a nylon thread, the size of section. It is made from genuine leather and dental floss, specifically made for beading permanently dyed so it is colorfast. seed beads. We recommend coating your Imitation Leather Cord is a woven round thread with beeswax or Thread Heaven™ cord, stronger and more uniform than animal before beginning any seed or bugle bead leather. Made of biodegradable cotton. projects. It will keep the thread from fraying Takes and holds knots well. This cord is not Fire Mountain Gems and Beads and help it last longer. A bobbin of “O” (fine colorfast. size) contains 90 yards, “OO” (extra fine size) One Fire Moutain Way, Grants Pass, OR 97526 contains 110 yards. Size “B” is medium and Imitation Sinew is spun from a continuous Call Toll Free (800) 355-2137 contains 72 yards. Size “D” is thicker and a filament of polypropylene fiber for 60-lb. bobbin contains 64 yards. We also have Nymo breaking strength. It is waxed and easy to www.firemountaingems.com thread in bulk spools weighing 3 ounces. split. All Nymo weights are available in black and Imitation Silk Cord is woven from a cotton/ Copyright © 2003 by Fire Mountain Gems. All rights reserved. Not for commercial distribution. white; colors are available in “O” weight. polyester blend and is not colorfast.