Griffin Silk Beading Cord has been made in Germany for over 140 years. Traditionally, both freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones were knotted between each bead, both to prevent wear and to ensure that if the strand broke the majority of the beads could not be lost. Contemporary beaders use knotting to create the illusion of floating beads, to give a pop of color between the beads, as well as in the traditional manner.

Each card of Griffin Silk Beading Cord has 2 meters (79 inches) of 100% natural silk cord with a twisted wire needle at one end. When using the Griffin Silk it is important to unwind the card and start your project at the end furthest from the needle. This way you can save the end of the thread with the needle for a future project. Sometimes you will need to gently squeeze the rounded cord-end of the wire needle to flatten it, in order to fit the largest possible size of silk through your beads. This ensures that you are using the thickest and strongest strand of silk that will fit through your beads. We carry sizes 2 - 14, with the 4, 6 and 8 being the most popular.

Silk stretches over time, so we recommend pre-stretching the silk. There are different methods for this, but we dampen the silk a tiny bit with a damp paper towel and then use our hands to firmly pull on the silk in sections all along its length. You should feel a little give, without pulling so hard that you are hurting your hands or breaking the cord. If you do not pre-stretch the silk, you may find that after you make your knots the weight of the beads causes the cord to stretch so there are spaces of thread next to each one of your knots.

Griffin Silk Beading Cord comes in a rainbow of colors - the pale and neutral tones are best for use with freshwater pearls, while the bolder colors are most often chosen for semi-precious stones.