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Bail Filigree Bead Caps Headpins Lobster Clasp Jump Ring
Bail- a wire or piece of formed metal which attaches to a pendant and is used to hang the pendant from a necklace.
Barrel Clasp- a clasp consisting of two parts that screw together which is usually used to secure necklaces & bracelets.
Base Metal- a non-precious metal which could be any of a variety of metals such as copper, nickel, brass etc.
Bead Tip- a metal finding used to hide knots on string or filament of necklace. Also known as "End Cap"
Filigree- delicate, open metalwork most common on round beads and bead caps
Findings- any of a number of different, metal pieces used in jewelry making such as spacers, jump rings, head pins etc.
French hook- shape of metal finding used in earrings
Head Pin- metal finding consisting of a straight metal wire with a flat head at one end;
used to attach beads to jewelry projects and as a dangle
Jig- a tool consisting of a board with moveable pegs used to shape and bend wire
Jump Ring- a round or oval finding used to join two or more pieces of a jewelry project together; can be open or
soldered closed.
Leverback- a type of earring finding
Lobster Clasp- a metal closure for jewelry projects which is shaped like a lobster claw
Memory Wire- a special, base metal wire which is made to retain a coiled shape through a hardening process; this
wire is usually plastic coated and comes in a number of colors besides silver or gold tones
Sterling Silver Plate or Silver plate- a base metal finding which has a heavy electroplating of sterling silver then
lacquered to retard oxidation
Split Ring- a round finding usually consisting of one and a half to two completed circles to form an overlap thereby
creating a strong piece which is used to join other findings or chain
Sterling Silver- 92.5% silver and 7.2% base metal which is usually copper
Surgical Steel- a non-allergenic, stainless steel which is a non-plated, natural dark gray color
Spring Ring Clasp- a round, closure finding shaped like a ring with a moveable lever on it which opens and closes the ring
to allow connection to a loop on the other end of the jewelry project
Toggle Clasp- a metal closure consisting of a bar which fits inside a matching circle
Rectangle Square Diamond Briolette Cylindrical Round
Bicone- a bead shaped like to pyramids glued together by their bases
Briolette- a pear shaped, facetted bead which is tip drilled
Button- a bead which is usually slightly raised on one side and slightly indented on the other side (like a button);
these beads can be side drilled, center drilled or not drilled at all for use with a bezel
Bugle- a thin, tubular bead of various sizes which are drilled lengthwise and come in both smooth & ridged form
Cabochon- a bead or stone, usually round or oval, with a flat back and a rounded, dome top
Cameo- a pendant of stone, glass or resin made up of two different colored layers with one layer being carved and raised
sitting on the other "background" layer.
Cloisonné- an enamelled metal bead with a thin strand of metal separating each color
Chevron- glass beads which are made with multiple layers of different color glass form a starburst pattern when seen
from the ends
Christmas Beads- small, multi-color striped beads usually between 3 to 5mm in size (look like Christmas candy)
Coin- a flat or puffed round (circle) bead which is side drilled. Also called "Lentil" bead
Cone- a bead which tapers from a wide base to a narrow or pointed end
Corrugated- bead with ridged or grooved surface. When the grooves run the length of the bead, it is referred to as fluted.
Cube- a three dimensional shape with six equal sides (like a box)
Crimp Bead- a small metal bead/tube used to hold other beads in place through a "crimping" process of squashing the
crimp bead. Usually used as finishing at the ends of a project but also used between beads on "floating"
necklaces
Crystal- glass beads with at least 30% lead; lead is used to give a highly refractive quality to the bead
Dichroic- beads made with glass that has a thin film of metal fused to the surface of the glass. The resulting product,
whether made by pressing or lampworking, is a bead with a metallic sheen that fluctuates between two colors
as the bead is angled different ways.
Disk- a flat or puffed, round bead like a coin bead but center drilled. Also known as a donut, wheel, wafer or spacer
Dog Bone- a bead which is wider on both ends and thinner in the center. Also called barbell beads
Drum- a thick tube bead with flattened ends. Also called a barrel bead
Facetted- a bead or stone with a number of small, flat cut surfaces which are made to give a sparkling effect and
accent the brilliance of a stone
Fetish- a bead shaped like an animal which supposedly has spiritual powers
Filigree- delicate open metalwork; usually found on bead caps and round or cylindrical beads
Fire Polish- a technique used to give a clean, smooth, polished look to a bead
Foiled- a clear or translucent bead which has foil embedded below the surface. Also called "foil lined"
Heishe- (pronounced hee-shee) traditionally, small disk or tube beads usually from natural shell which is shaped flat grinding.
Also known today as wheel, donut or spacer beads
Lampwork- handmade glass beads by melting glass on a central rod by the heat of a gas burner and shaping the bead. Often,
the beads are layered with other colors in a raised pattern.
Lentil- another term used to describe a coin bead; they are sometimes a bit thinner with the edges tapered to a point
Millefiori- literally translated means " 1000 flowers" in Italian. Refers to beads made by a process of multicolor glass rods
being sliced into a plain glass core while the glass is hot thereby forming mosaic like patterns
Pressed Glass- beads made by a technique of pressing heated glass into molds to shape them
Rondelle- a flattened, round bead with a center hole (looks like a life-saver candy)
Round - a shape of bead which is generally spherical; may be facetted or smooth
Saucer - shaped like a flying saucer being round, higher in the center tapering to a very narrow edge; center drilled
Seed - refers to a type of very small beads, usually 1mm to less than 3mm in thickness; usually round or cylindrical
Tube - a shape of beads which are usually long, thin cylinders
Teardrop - a bead with one wide, rounded end and one narrow pointed end that resembles a falling tear or rain drop; beads are
usually three dimensional but can be flattened, puffed or facetted; can be top to bottom drilled or dip drilled. Also
called drops, pears or briolettes
Wafer- another name for a disk bead