I'd like to make an illusion necklace on monofilament. I've seen either 1) beads held in place by squashed crimps that look like metal confetti stuck to the wire (I don't like the look and I'm afraid they'd feel scratchy on the skin), or 2) beads--usually pearls--held in place mysteriously with absolutely nothing visible. Can you use a bead that's crimped, then folded (for a neater, potentially less scratchy crimp)? Or can someone tell me what's holding the pearls in place? (do you put a blob of glue on the monofilament and then pull a bead over the top of the glue? I'd appreciate any advice, even as far as the best mono to use. Thanks!

I've been successful with a couply methods of creating the illusion necklace:

 1. Use small crimp beads on either side of the larger bead. But this will give the 'metal confetti' look, which is sometimes very pretty on the necklace.

2. Use 15/0 seed beads in clear or silver lined clear on either side of the main bead. Run the filament through the seed beed, and then loop it around and back through the beed, then the primary bead, then another seed bead with the same loop around it. This will anchor the seeds and the main bead, and the seeds are small enough that most times they aren't noticed.

3. send the filament through the bead, then loop around the bead and back through it.

In the two last versions, you have to be sure you are placing the beads in the right place. Once the loops are pulled tight, the filament will have a noticeable kink in it if you try to move the beads.

 Mel

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm going to experiment and see how these work!

I wrote an article years ago for Bead and Button magazine with directions for an illusion necklace. I do not remember the issue number, but it was one of those illusion necklaces made on clear threading material, and the beads were held invisibly in place by an amazing glue called "Hot Stuff". It was created for the space industry as the out-gassing is nontoxic. I was introduced to this product by a Navajo jeweler friend and in turn introduced the glue to Bead and Button readers. I believe there is a product review in that issue. I have seen the glue sold in small bottles in bead stores. The version you want is the thick glue designed to hold it's shape and fill gaps. It dries clear and does not degrade the stringing material or hurt the beads. I still have sample necklaces from that time period and the glued beads are still held securely and invisibly.

Wow--thanks for this tip. I just checked out the "Hot Stuff" glues they sell on Amazon. Was it the "Super T" (yellow label, syrup consistency) or the "Special T" (green label--requires a "Hot Shot Accelerator" curing agent)?

I am like you, I don't like the look of the little crimp beads, looks messy when you are going for clean and simple. I just used some beads called Smart Beads, they have grippy stuff in the middle of them. They only come in gold and silver, no pearls, that I have seen anyway. They are really pretty, kinda pricey but pretty. The glue would probably be less expensive.

It was the Super T. You don't need the accelerator for your purposes. That stuff is used when setting stones into jewelry using the intarsia method. I am glad to see the stuff more readily available. We had to get it from the actual manufacturer for the article. He could not seem to understand the sudden surge in product sales. Never underestimate a determined beader - we need it, we find it, we use it, we share it.