Seed BeadJewelry Design

History

• Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of body adornment.

• The first pieces of jewelry were made from natural materials, such as bone, animal teeth, shell, wood and carved stone.

Jewelry Uses

• Currency: wealth display & storage

• Function: clasps, pins & buckles

• Symbolism: to show membership or status – Examples: Christian crucifix, Jewish Star of David, wedding

rings

• Protection: amulets & magical wards

• Artistic Display: just for looks or showing one’s style– Jewelry has always been artistic, but this use took primacy

over wealth and function starting in the late 19th century

Types of Jewelry

• High-Quality Jewelry: made with gemstones and precious metals, such as silver or gold

• Art Jewelry: design and creativity are prized above material value

• Costume Jewelry: less costly due to being mass-produced from lower value materials

Seed Bead Jewelry

• Smallest type of beads used to create jewelry

 • Embroidery Technique: seed beads

are sewn or “woven” onto a fabric backing

Materials & Tools

• Thread: Nymo (nylon), wire, braided thread

• Crimp Beads: soft metal bead that is crimped around the wire to hold a clasp in place.

• Crimp Pliers: used to attach crimp beads

Materials & Tools

• Beading Needles: thin and bendable

• Decorative Beads: seedbeads, wooden beads, etc.

• “Findings”: hardware needed to finish a piece of jewelry– Examples: Barrel clasps, crimp

beads, earring wires, etc.

Attaching A Crimp Bead

• Two-step process used with beading wire

• Using a crimp pliers, first crimp the bead around the wire using the hole closest to the handles

• Then, fold the crimped bead back onto itself using the hold closet to the tip of the pliers

2 Basic Techniques

• Daisy Chain

• Ladder Stitch