Stringing

Today, jewelry wire is the go-to material for most stringing projects. It is designed for stringing beads of all shapes and sizes. It is much stronger than typical stringing threads and cords. It is also fray-resistant, so designs with beads that have sharp edges, such as crystals and metal beads, will be more durable. And instead of knotting, jewelry wire is secured with crimps, which offer durability for long-lasting wear.

Jewelry wire is made up of several strands of stainless steel wire that are woven together and then coated with nylon. The stainless steel wire makes it very strong and the nylon coating protects the wire, adds to the durability and offers a smooth surface for the beads. What differs among jewelry wire is the number of wire strands used. The numbers range from 7 strands up to 49 strands. The more strands the jewelry wire is made of, the more flexible it is. Some of the jewelry wires are flexible enough to knot. They also range in diameter from very fine to heavy. So, choose the largest diameter that will fit through the bead hole sizes in the design, and will support the overall weight the design will carry.