~Glossary~
Here is a little glossary on jewelry materials to help you understand what I describe in my jewelry descriptions.
Necklace Lengths: Here's the standard guideline to necklace lengths: Choker= about 14" to 16" long. Sits at the base of the neck. Princess= about 18" (45.5cm) long. Almost all of my necklaces are princess type; It's my personal preference. Matinee= about 22" to 23" long. Opera= about 30" to 36" long.
Clasps: There are many different kinds of clasps that exist; I mainly use lobster clasps (common teardrop shape), spring clasps and toggle clasps. Spring clasps (they look like armored jumprings). Lobster clasps make necklaces look more professional (in my opinion), but toggles make it much easier to put on and take off jewelry once you get the hang of it. Toggles are more suited for bulkier jewelry.
I've recently started using magnetic clasps for pet jewelry, that way if a cat or dog gets it's necklace snagged on something, if it pulls hard enough it'll come loose. I can also use these clasps for people's jewelry, but it's not suited for those with pace makers.
Jumprings: These are basically what chains are made of; They are small round rings of metal each with a "cut" to allow to open and close to link materials together. I use 3mm-8mm, usually 4mm.
Findings: Findings are the materials used assemble a piece of jewelry together; This includes clasps, bead tips, jumprings, crimp beads etc.
Memory Wire: A circle of metal that, when opened and stretched apart to put on, always goes back to its original shape. Obviously, if you pull the ends really far apart for a long time, the shape will eventually distort itself. If this happens accidentally, try shaping it back to normal without too much force. Memory wire bracelets that make more than a full turn don't need any clasps because they stay in place on their own.
Filigree: Simply put, it is fine, detailed metal with open spaces in it. The filigree beads I use are completely empty inside, with the bead being a fine, detailed, open-spaced shell.
Bead tips: Bead tips are the bridge between all the beads on a string and the clasp to put it together. They're used on jewelry that's not made with chain or cord. These come in a couple of varieties but they all exist to do one thing; To hide the knots people make when they finish a piece of jewelry. The cheapest version is the single-cup; one that only has one side to it, meaning it doesn't completely hide the knot. I use the clamshell version that completely hides the knot.
Crystals/Gemstones: For ages, crystals have been used for healing people and bringing upon them luck and protection. I finally bought myself an amazing book on crystals and with this I can now inform any curious person what attributes the stones I use in my jewelry have.
Ammonite Pendants: They are fossils of specimens that lived and died during the dinosaur times. The shell is cut in half and polished, usually leaving the back side/exterior rough and slightly polished.
Cinnabar: True cinnabar (mercury sulfide) is no longer made due to how highly toxic it is. The cinnabar pendants I have are made with resin based polymer.
Seed Beads: These are the smallest beads available, usually 1mm to a few millimeters long. They are usually used for bead weaving and are not as often seen in jewelry, which is one reason why I like to use them. They are nice for making delicate-type jewelry.
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