5 stringing materials compared — cable, silk, nylon, elastic and leather

Five materials do almost all the stringing in the world. Each has a job it is obviously right for.

1. Nylon-coated cable

Multi-strand stainless steel in a nylon jacket. 7-strand drapes, 49-strand brute-forces. Crimp terminations. The default for necklaces and bracelets with glass, gemstone or metal beads.

2. Silk thread

The pearl classic. Knots between beads, drapes like nothing else, stretches over years (which is why heirloom strands get re-strung). Finish with bead tips or French wire at the clasp.

3. Bonded nylon beading thread

The weaving thread — for peyote, RAW and friends. Barely stretches, resists fray, passes multiple times through 11/0 holes. Not for stringing heavy strands.

4. Elastic cord

Stretch bracelets only. Quality matters enormously; cheap elastic snaps in weeks. Double-pass heavy beads and pre-stretch before finishing.

5. Leather and waxed cotton

Casual, boho pieces — slider knots and wrapped ends. Accept the rustic aesthetic; it is the point.

Material	Strength	Drape	Knots?	Job
Cable	Excellent	Good	No	Everyday stringing
Silk	Good	Superb	Yes	Pearls, heirloom
Bonded nylon	Very good (weave)	n/a	n/a	Weaving
Elastic	Fair	n/a	No	Stretch bracelets
Leather	Good	Stiff	Yes	Casual styles

The essentials course teaches material matching with professional stock; compare bead families in the types guide.

What students say

“I will use the skills learnt to make jewellery and other items, such as phone chains, christmas tree decorations & hopefully sell them.”

— Nadia W. (England) · published student feedback

“I enjoyed glass fusing because I wanted to learn about glass fusing and the class conducted provide enough information to play around with glass fusing.”

— Melani A. (Indonesia) · published student feedback

Free ways to explore

No sign-up, no payment — start with any of these.

DDownload the gem e-bookFREE
The school's free guide to gems — reading companion to the webinars.FFree gem webinar replaysFREE
Full recorded sessions on gems and the jewellery trade.PPlay Name That GemFREE
The school's free gem-identification game — addictive.TThe complete course guideFREE
Every course, family and diploma in one PDF.

Keep exploring

Stringing fundamentals — knots, crimps and terminations that lastThe complete beginner guide to stringing bead jewellery — thread choices, crimping techniqBead jewellery photography — sell the piece, not the pictureHow to photograph bead jewellery for listings — light, backgrounds, scale, angles and consBead types compared — glass, gemstone, pearl, crystal and metalThe five bead families compared — how glass, gemstone, pearl, crystal and metal beads diffPearl knotting guide — the classic silk-thread techniqueHow pearl knotting works — silk thread, knots between beads, awls and knotting tools, when

Turn beading into a certified skill

JDMIS in Singapore runs hands-on fashion jewellery and beading courses, from one-day workshops to a full Fashion Jewellery Arts diploma.

Visit jdmis.edu.sg