• Beading Wire

Visit us on Facebook!

Beading Wire

Can you remember beading with tiger tail -- nylon-coated beading wire -- and the disappointment you felt later when you went to put on that necklace and there was a giant kink in the side? I can ... and it happened to a gift.

There is a fierce competition among beading manufacturers, and we're benefiting from it. Beading-wire companies are constantly improving and expanding their product lines to give beaders more options than ever.

From its sometimes horrible beginnings, tiger tail beading wire has grown into a fantastic stringing material and has expanded our horizons. It comes in four different strand combinations -- 7, 19, 21 and 49 -- and in multiple diameters, not to mention all of the colors and platings. So, with all of these choices, how do you choose? This is when we put on our "thinking" caps. There are many different scenarios, so we'll just cover a few.

Gemstone necklace: A gemstone necklace with large, heavy beads requires strength. You don't want your beading wire to wear out and break while you're shopping with your girlfriends. Some would say go with the 49-strand and the thickest diameter you can find. I tend to differ here. I would go with the 49-strand beading wire for the flexibility, but two lengths of a thinner diameter. What diameter? This is something that will depend on the hole size of your stones. You want the wires to fit in the holes snugly, but you also want a little wiggle room. If it's too tight, the stones will wear on the wire. If it's too loose, the necklace won't have the body you desire.

Seed bead strands: With seed beads, you have a lot more flexibility. They are light, so wire of any diameter will work. I would still look at how the wire fits in your piece, and at how it holds its shape.

Woven or braided pieces: This type of jewelry requires a lot of flexibility. I recommend using as high of strand combination as you have on-hand with a thin to thin-medium diameter.

One final tip: Don't think of the weight of your piece as an average, but look at its heaviest components and plan your wire to suit those. As a general rule, I try to use 21-strand or higher beading wire with a medium thickness. You may have noticed that I haven't specifically mentioned brands. I did this for two reasons. First, most of the well-known brands are of equal caliber. Secondly, while I do have my favorite brand I use, it's not always available everywhere. Bead stores, and even craft stores, will usually only carry one, maybe two, brands. Try out a variety and settle on the brand or brands you like the best.