Knotting a Strand of Gemstone Beads

by Dr. Gail Devoid
(Need for Beads)

I purchased these faceted carnelian beads several years ago, and they were so beautiful I wanted to make sure I did something very nice with them.

At the time, I knew how to string using flexible wire and crimps, but I did not know how to knot.

The stones are all faceted, and in three different sizes, all mined from the same source. The color match is therefore excellent, and the smaller beads in the back make it very comfortable to wear.

It took several years to become proficient with knotting and I did several weeks of research on the Internet to learn the best way to knot these large-holed, heavy gemstones.

What I learned, was that heavier beads such as these should not be knotted with silk, but rather knotted with nylon, because the weight of the beads is less likely to stretch the thread.

I checked my supply of stringing materials, and decided upon a two-ply nylon cord number 2 manufactured in Mexico.

I had been using this to do bead crochet with 8/0 Miyuki beads. I found that using it to knot these gemstones work just fine if I doubled it up.

That gives you an idea of how large the holes were. If I had used flexible wire, the beads would have jiggled on the wire. I wanted better quality than that, and I succeeded by using the nylon cord.

This close-up shows the beads in the front and the knotting:

This picture shows the graduation of the bead sizes. I finished the necklace with a 14 karat gold lobster clasp, and a large jump ring:

Need For Beads offers designer jewelry by Gail Devoid, designer jewelry kits, and designer jewelry patterns. Free tutorials on the Need For Beads website at teach how to use stitches to create designer jewelry. Beading supplies are available.

Dr. Gail Devoid
Need for Beads