Beads, Jewelry Wire, Tools, and Jewelry Making Supplies by WigJig Beadstringing Kit -- Page 1

This Jewelry Making Kit makes the white pearl beads necklace shown at right.  The kit includes all the tools and supplies necessary to make this necklace.  Please select here to view this kit in our Internet store.

Our instructions for making this necklace are tailored to a beginner to making jewelry.  We believe that anyone who can follow simple instructions will be successful in making this necklace.  This project is suitable for anyone aged 12 or older.  Because we use a sharp cutter, it is not suitable for young children.

Now let's discuss a little history of jewelry to help us explain why we make this necklace the way we do.  Prior to 1990, beads were strung on thread.  The best thread in the distant past was silk thread, but regardless of the quality of the thread used, any thread would break over time.  This is because at the microscopic level the inside of any bead is sharp and acts like a saw cutting the thread as the necklace is worn.  With any necklace strung on thread, there is no question of whether the necklace will break, it will.  It is only a question of when it will break.  Because of this, the artisans making strung beads necklaces would knot the thread between each bead.  When the thread parted, it would normally only part in one place and only one bead would break away, with the rest of the beads held in place by the knots.  Tying knots between each bead is very time consuming and re-stringing beads can be expensive.  For this reason, in the 1990's the Soft Flex Company invented beadstringing wire.  The virtue of the wire is that it is made of stainless steel coated with vinyl and won't break when used correctly.  Because of this, you won't need to tie a knot between each bead, it is not necessary.  Aesthetically, though, we want our pearl beads necklace to look identical to the necklaces with knotted silk.  The way we achieve the same visual effect as the knots is to thread a small "seed bead" between each of our pearl beads.  This project will teach a beginner to making jewelry how to use the newest technology in beadstringing -- using Soft Touch bead stringing wire.  The end result will be a modern pearl beads necklace that won't break, won't require re-stringing, but looks almost identical to the older style pearl beads necklaces. 

The tools and supplies listed below are included in the kit.  If you purchase the kit you will not need to purchase any additional tools or supplies.  We list these here for people who want to complete this project but already have some tools and/or supplies.  At the end of these instructions we will also discuss some alternative designs using different findings or beads.
 

Skills Taught:

• Using bead crimping pliers and crimp beads to connect a clasp to the beadstringing wire.
• Cutting beadstringing wire. 
• Stringing beads on bead stringing wire.