This guide to identifying and making beads includes a range of projects, shows how to identify junk-shop jewellery, explains how to tell the difference between gem-stones and their common substitutes, and discusses beads made from glass, metal, wood, pottery, and animal and vegetable substances. Readers can learn how to make their own beads at home and how to turn them into personal jewellery collections. The relevant techniques are explained by means of illustrated instructions, from simple threading to classic knotting, wire techniques, and even beadwork for textiles.