Some Common Wires and Threads Used in Jewelry Making

After reading several tutorials, we want to make a summary about the common wires and threads that are commonly used. So next time you don’t know what wire to use, you can check this to know the feature of them and hope it can help you to find the correct one.

Fishing Wire

The first one is fishing wire. They are a type of nylon wire and they are soft, transparent and won’t break up easily. It is ideal when you want your thread to be hidden, perhaps when using see-through beads. If seen from a distance, it seems the beads are suspended at intervals as if by magic. In addition, fishing wire are usually fine lines. They are often used when threading seed beads.

Tiger tail wire

It is also called flexible stranded wire and is good for beads with sharp edges that might cut thread and for heavier jewellery designs. For this reason, tiger tail is normally the thread of choice for gemstones. Tiger tail cannot be made into a knot in order to end a sequence of beads as other kinds of thread can, thus it must be attached to a clasp or ended with crimp beads. Tiger tail does not require a sewing needle while threading beads so it is easier to use than many other kinds of thread.

Wax String

Wax string comes in several thicknesses and is good for modern casual designs and for stringing larger beads and gemstone pendants. They are usually not stretchable and soft and it can knot. They are usually used to make braiding crafts. Here are some pictures for your reference.