Spearit Beads & Co
Where Beads have Spearit!
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...the earliest written record of glass beads
in the Americas was on October 12, 1492  
when Columbus recorded in his logbook that
the natives of San Salvador Island were given
red caps and glass beads.
What Stringing Diameter Should I use?

.010 is designed for softer, less abrasive materials such as freshwater pearls and seed beads.    
Diameter .014 offers the softness and flexibility of pearl stringing threads yet has the strength of
stainless steel.
.021 was designed for use with small to medium glass beads, Austrian crystals, silver, pewter, 80% of
freshwater pearls and seed beads. Recommended when you are designing with a variety of materials.
.024 was designed for abrasive materials and designs that will meet excessive movement such as
watchbands and bracelets. It's great for multi-strand designs, African trade beads and large stones.
Spearit Beads & Co - Where Beads have Spearit!
331 2nd Ave. SW Albany, OR 97321 Phone: 541-791-4313 Email: sherry@spearitbeads.com
Why use a Bead Board?

The first step in jewelry designing is using the proper tools. The  Bead Board functions as a bead holder and a 35 inch
measuring tool as you lay out your designs. The U-channel Bead Board functions as a bead holder and measuring tool when
deciding the length of the design. It also serves as a useful template for laying out your pattern so you have an idea of
what your finished necklace or bracelet will look like, before you even string it. Typically, each long mark represents an
inch, and each of the shorter marks represents a half inch. These markings help you determine the final length of a piece
of beaded jewelry. Once you have your bead board ready, it’s time to select your beads and start to add them to the
groove in the board. The next step is to start determining where you want to place your beads in the design. If you already
have a pattern to follow, just go ahead and put them in the correct order on your board. However, if you are not sure what
pattern you plan to string yet, your bead board will become super handy. Just play with the arrangement of your beads,
moving them into different configurations until you find a design that you like. Now you’re ready to go ahead and string
your beads. It’s a good idea after stringing to double check that you have the desired length. Be sure to allow about 1 inch
or so for the clasp. This is something to always consider before finishing a piece of beaded jewelry. Once you have
determined that your beaded jewelry item is complete, you can remove the piece from the bead board and finish it off
using your choice of finishing techniques
                                                         Finishing a design

Finishing a single strand design:
We suggest crimping to finish almost any design.  It is important that you use the right diameter of wire, a high quality
crimp tube and crimp properly with a crimping pliers. With a single strand of .014 or .019, you will use a 2x2 crimp tube.  
With a single strand of .024, you will use a 2x3 crimp tube.

Finishing a multiple strand necklace:
There are a lot of ways to finish off a multiple strand design.  Here are 3 favorites.
-        You can use a multiple strand clasp.  Then you can simply crimp each strand to its own loop on the clasp.  
-        You can crimp all of your strands to an eye pin.  Then you simply pull the eye pin through a cone and attach it to a
single strand with a simple wire wrap.
-        Finally, you can use crimp tubes to crimp multiple strands together.  You will need a pair of crimping pliers for this
technique.    
The name ammonite comes from its appearance:
it resembles a ram’s horn.  In Egyptian mythology,
the God Ammon looked like a man with horns like a
ram. The ancient fossil was considered Ammon’s
stone, thus inheriting the name, ammonite.