Jewelry Making Resources | Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

S-Hook Clasp

A double-ended clasp shaped like an "S." Available in many sizes and styles, some with two rings. Pinch or pull the arm of the "S" to close or open the clasp.

Loomwork

(see also Bead Weaving, On-Loom) The process of using seed beads woven between the warp threads on a Beading Loom, to create a design or pattern.

Bib-Style Necklace

Resembling the embroidered yoke of an antique garment, Stacy Farnsworth's Night Shift is a masterpiece of design. A dense fringe of black chains, adorned with the glimmer of Crystal Passions® components, beautifully complements the scrolling floral pattern above it, creating a simply stunning piece.

Design Idea F36A

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Seed Bead

A uniformly shaped significantly small bead used for beading and jewelry-making. Seed beads are available in a myriad of colors, finishes and sizes.

Scatter Pin

A small pin usually a bird, insect, or flower worn in groups. Popular in the 1950s.

Bib-Style Necklace and Earring Set

Bursting with vibrant shades of blue, this jewelry set this jewelry set commands attention with its bold and striking presence.

Design Idea E82C

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Screw Clasp

A low-profile clasp with a threaded closure, which is twisted or screwed to open and to close. See also Bead, Barrel and Torpedo Clasp styles.

Single-Strand Necklace and Earring Set

Jazz up a simple string of pearls with the shimmer of Crystal Passions®. This jewelry set combines the sparkling allure of bicones with the gentle luster of crystal pearls for jewelry that is both elegant and exciting.

Design Idea E73R

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Scarab

Uncover the profound symbolism of the scarab, an ancient emblem revered for millennia to embody soulful concepts and spiritual significance.

Riviere

Necklace of stones, either all the same size or graded from a large central stone.

Single-Strand Necklace

Sheila Schwede's The Sting combines fine details with simplicity in this honey of a necklace. The eye-catching metal clay pendant is the absolute bee's knees!

Design Idea E33M

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Rattail

2mm satin cord.

Lampworked Glass

A type of glasswork, commonly seen in beads or focals, that uses a gas-fueled torch to melt glass rods and tubes of glass to create patterns and designs.

Single-Strand Necklace

The seed bead colors in Betty Neve's Rainbow Connection seem to blend into one another like a watercolor painting, framed by jaw-dropping wirework.

Design Idea E339

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Alloy

A blend of elements to create a new metal, usually in order to add strength and durability. Argentium™ silver is an alloy of silver, copper and germanium.

Christmas Tree Earrings

Make the season merry and bright with these festive Christmas tree earrings. Customize the design with different colors to suit everyone on your list.

Design Idea D930

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Christmas Tree Earrings

Whether you make these classic Christmas tree earrings for yourself, your customers or people on your gift list, they're sure to spread good cheer all season long.

Design Idea D8A5

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Single-Strand Necklace

Karen Suarez's metal clay necklace, with its graceful lines and adjustable chain, is the stuff that Taxco Dreams are made of!

Design Idea D42N

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Earrings

Let your style take flight with these fanciful earrings. Silver-plated wings flutter among fiery Celestial Crystal® beads, soaring to new heights of fashion.

Design Idea D130

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Polishing

The process in the last stage of metal finishing in which a rotating instrument is dipped in a polishing substance. Increases shine and eliminates flaws.

Pliers

A precision hand tool used for a variety of purposes in jewelry-making: to hold objects firmly, to cut or bend wire, to crimp or flatten components and others.

Pickle

A liquid applied to a metal surface that removes surface impurities (such as stains, scale, rust and more).

Palladium

Palladium is a dense and lustrous, precious white-silver metal. A cousin of the platinum metal group, this rare metal is popular for fine metal jewelry.

Nymo

Nylon beading thread produced by the Belding Corticelli Company. Extremely fine thread popularly used in seed bead on-loom and off-loom bead weaving projects.

Nylon Jaw Pliers

A pair of pliers with attached nylon contact surfaces. Ideal for gripping round, square, twisted, coated, plated and precious metal wires during wireworking.

Antiqued

Metal beads and components which have a human-created patina which alters the surface colors and gives the appearance of age.

Electroplating

Coating a metal surface by means of electrolysis. The amount of electroplate on an object is measured in microns (one micron = 0.001mm).

Antique Finish

(see also Antiqued) A patina created on metal beads and components that alters the surface colors and gives the appearance of age.

How to Create a Half Persian 3-in-1 Chainmaille Weave

Looking for a new style of chainmaille to add to your jewelry-making repertoire? Learn to create a half Persian 3-in-1 weave with these instructions.

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Antique

An item, regardless of quality, which was manufactured 100 or more years ago.

Lobster Claw Clasp

A self-closing clasp in the general shape of a lobster's claw. However, this spring-loaded clasp is available in a range of shapes, sizes and styles.

Intaglio

Decoration made by carving or engraving a design into a gem or other hard material. Intaglio is the opposite of cameo.

Annealing

Heating metal in order to activate, increase or change its strength, hardness, ductibility and other traits.

Enamel

Colored, opaque glassy material fused onto metal, pottery or glass.

Forming Wire Coils

Create wire coils with tools, gadgets and forming devices designed to make consistent coils for limitless jewelry-making. Have fun choosing from all the different wires to then make different coils.

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Inlay

To set pieces of wood or ivory, for example, into a surface, usually at the same level, to form a design.

Anklet

A form of bracelet, usually chain, worn around the ankle. Anklets made of leather or fiber are increasingly popular.

Kevlar

A synthetic fiber used in bulletproof vests and adapted to jewelry-making for its high strength in relation to its thickness. Resilient to changes in heat.

Engraving

A pattern made by cutting away the surface of metal, wood or other surface.

Kidney Earwire

A type of earwire which loops through the ear and has a small hook on the bottom to latch the wire closed for added security.

Nuggets

Large, tumbled freeform pieces of gemstone or glass.

Jumpring

A piece of wire formed into a loop, usually round, and used to connect jewelry components. Jump rings are offered in round, oval, triangle, square and more.

Needle

A length of metal with a small hole on one end used to draw stringing material through beads and components, or used to draw thread through textiles.

End-Cutting Nippers

A pair of pliers with metal-cutting blades, ideal for cutting thicker posts, pegs or wires.

Jig

(usually Wire Jig or Wireworking Jig) A plate or frame with moveable pegs used for creating standardized and repeatable wire-based jewelry components.