Orientation to Beads and Jewelry Findings

Before beginning a course of study, students are required to take our Orientation to Beads and Jewelry Findings class. This is a required first course, regardless of the students previous beading or jewelry making experiences.

In this class, we cover information and insights about: 

• Materials
• Techniques
• Design Concepts

These are things not typically found in books or online, yet critical to learn to be successful in beading and jewelry making. Whether you are new to beadwork, or want a refresher class, you should consider taking our Orientation to Beads and Jewelry Findings class. 

This course acquaints the student with the world of beads such as:

• How to tell the quality of beads before you buy and use them
• How beads are made, and the differences in quality and craftsmanship, based on where they are made
• What the differences are among druks, fire polish, seed beads, delicas and the like
• The things you need to know when working with crystal beads
• How to understand metals and platings, especially their pros and cons, and what happens as they age
• What the various types, sizes, finishes, shapes and styles of beads are
• Where beads come from, and how they have been used historically
• How to make intelligent choices about which stringing materials to use
• What tools you will need, and how to buy them

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to a common language and understanding of beads, jewelry findings and tools that they will be working with.

Important Things to Note:

• There are no fees for these classes. 
• No supplies, tools, books or materials are needed.
• Students are asked to preregister at least 1-2 days ahead of time either online, or by calling 615/292-0610. 
• It does not matter if we have only one student or several -- we teach this class in either case.