RETURN POLICY ON THREAD: Like most needlework retailers, we do not allow returns on thread except when there has been an error on our part. Please keep this in mind before you buy. When in doubt, we recommend you buy and test a small amount prior to ordering larger quantities. We have very low shipping charges of approximately $4.25 (subject to change) for small thread orders sent to US addresses to enable you to do this affordably. There are many reasons for this, but a primary reason is that once the thread has left our store, we can no longer verify that it has been kept clean and unused, and in most cases, we can no longer tell which dye lot a given thread came from. Therefore you can be confident that the thread you buy from us is clean, unused, and that we can send you multiple skeins from a single dye lot when that is important. If you buy thread from a company that accepts returned thread, how do you know where the thread they sell you has been before it gets to you?

CONVERTING THREAD: From time to time we get requests to convert thread from one brand to another or one type to another. This can be an extremely difficult and time-consuming task and we regret that we are no longer able to offer this service.

This page last updated February 26, 2026

METALLIC & REAL METAL THREADS

METALLIC THREADS (synthetic)

Au Ver a Soie metallic thread is the ORIGINAL braided thread that predated the one now known as Kreinik metallic (and before that known was by the French name Balger, originally Bembalger). With the extreme difficulties for a year and a half getting Kreinik metallic threads, the wonderful metallic braids from Au Ver a Soie can in SOME case take the place of Kreinik. Both lines share some common colors and even some common color numbers due to their shared history; other times the same color exists in both lines but using a different number. Some colors in both lines are unique to that line and do not have equivaelents in the other line. We expect the available color range in the US to continue to increase, so the color listing below is by no means final.

Click here to see the current availability of Au Ver a Soie metallic braids in size 4, 8, 12 and 16.

Click here for a conversion chart from Kreinik colors to an Au Ver a Soie number (only when there are equivalent colors available).

Au Ver a Soie Metallic Prices

DMC METALLIC PEARL is a metallic thread equivalent to size 5 pearl cotton. Like the DMC metallic floss listed above, it comes in two colors, gold (5282) and silver (5283).

DMC "Z" METALLICS are relatively fine-weight metallic threads made of three fine plies loosely twisted together (normally all three plies are used at once). Please note that DMC has discontinued all but three colors of this type of thread. Colors are (French names are listed in parentheses as certain patterns refer to them by these names):

Diamant metallic thread from DMC is made in Japan. Heavier than blending filament but finer than braid (and made of twisted not braided thread), this thread comes in the following colors:

	D3821 Light Gold		D3852 Dark Gold		D140 Black Gold
	D168 Light Silver		D415 Dark Silver		D301 Dark Copper
	D310 Black		D316	D317 Dark Gray
	D321		D699	D225 Rose Gold
	D898		D5200

DMC Diamant thread is $3.75 per 35 meter (38.2 yard) spool.

Diamant Grande metallic thread from DMC is a heavier weight of Diamante thread (twice as thick), made in Japan. This thread comes in the following colors:

DMC Diamant Grande thread is $4.60 per 20 meter (21.8 yard) spool.

DMC "FLAT" GOLD AND SILVER were shiny, smooth single ply metallic threads. These threads are also known by their French names: fil or mi-fin (gold, Article 280) and fil argent mi-fin (silver, Article 281). In 2002 DMC announced that they were discontinuing the sale of these threads in the U.S. We have sold out of these and can no longer get them; sorry.

SNOW is a metallic thread from the Caron Collection. It previously came in only a white "snow" color but now comes in additional colors:

N-00 White	N-01 Gold - DISCONTINUED, replaced by N-18
N-02 Black Ice	N-03 Sky Blue
N-04 Night Sky (discontinued, no longer available)	N-05 Fiesta Red (new version)
N-06 Cedar Green	N-07 Copper
N-08 White Gold	N-09 Silver
N-10 Royal B lue	N-11 Lime Green
N-12 Canary Yellow	N-13 Fire Orange
N-14 Mango	N-15 Mauve
N-16 Gunmetal	N-17 Carbon (blue-black)
N-18 Gold Dust	N-19 Icy Lavender
N-20 Tropical Ocean	N-21 Storm
N-22 Strawberry	N-23 Chocolate
N-24 Dark Gold	N-25 Brass
N-26 Deep Sea	N-27 Shadow
N-28 Violet	N-29 Pistachio
N-30 Crystal	N-31 Gilded Black
N-32 Pepper	N-33 Grape
N-34 Pearl

Snow is $5.50 per 10 yard skein.

ACCENTUATE is a "new" metallic thread that is really not new. It is a metallic thread known as "Supertwist" made by Madeira but now available in a packaging superior to those previously available. This thread is also sold by other people under the name Rainbow Blending Filament as well as Supertwist. Formerly available in only 30 colors, the color range has been expanded tremendously to include some very unique and beautiful colors (also some old colors have been discontinued - discontinued color numbers are 010, 011, 276, 280, 380 and 500). Most people find that this fine metallic thread is somewhat stronger than other blending filaments. Currently a color card is not available, and differences between some colors are so subtle, it would be hard to show or describe the colors. Madeira Supertwist is actually manufactured in two sizes, size 20 and 30. Our Accentuate/Supertwist is size 30 Supertwist which comes in all colors (size 20 comes in a very limited color range and is not carried by us).

To convert from "Supertwist" to Accentuate color numbers is simple as the numbering system is the same. To convert from "Glissen Gloss Rainbow Blending Filament" color numbers to Accentuate color numbers, click here (please note that more colors of Supertwist/Glissengloss Rainbow Filament are available in Accentuate than shown on this conversion).

Currently available colors of Accentuate are:

012	013	014	015
016	016	017	018
019	020	021	022
023	024	025	026
027	028	029	030
031	032	033	034
035	036	037	038
039	040	041	042
043	044	051	052
057	058	065	066
067	070 - DISCONTINUED	071	111
113	114	115	120
123	126	138	140
155	225	226	227
228	251	252	253
254	255	256	257
258	260	261	262
263	264	272	273 - discontinued and sold out
274	275	277 - discontinued and sold out	278
279 - DISCONTINUED	282	283	284 - DISCONTINUED
285	287	288	289
290	291	300	301
302	303	304	305
306	307	308	309
310	311	312	313
315	316	317	318
319	320	322	323 - DISCONTINUED
326 - DISCONTINUED	327	329	330
332	333 - DISCONTINUED	337 - DISCONTINUED	339
340	341	345 - DISCONTINUED	347
349	351	352 - DISCONTINUED	353
354	355	356	357 - DISCONTINUED
358	360	362 - DISCONTINUED	371
375	376 - DISCONTINUED	384	385
386 - DISCONTINUED	387	389 - DISCONTINUED	392
393 - DISCONTINUED	396 - DISCONTINUED

Accentuate is $3.00 per 50 meter (55 yard) spool.

BIJOUX METALLIC is an old thread under a new name. You may also know this thread as "Lacquered Jewels". Bijoux Metallic is a fine weight metallic thread of cord-type construction. Most colors are deep, rich jewel tones with a black cast to them. With the new packaging on spools rather than wrapped on cards or made into skeins, the thread is much more user-friendly. All color numbers are the same as those for "Lacquered Jewels" so order by the same color number as you would use for Lacquered Jewels.

Colors for Bijoux Metallic are:

411	Cape Amethyst	412	Amethyst
413	Pink Opal	414	Rubasse
415	Ruby	422	Bronze Glint - NO LONGER AVAILABLE
		424	Renaissance Gold
425	Pyrite	426	Smoky Topaz
427	Copper Leaf	428	Amber
429	Jasper	437	Sapphire
438	Lapis	439	Garnet
		442	Antique Silver
452	Green Agate	457	Malachite
460	Water Sapphire	465	Turquoise
466	Blue Zircon	467	Blue Tanzanite
470	Black Pearl	480	Regalia
481	Crown Jewels	482	Tiger Eye
483	Tourmaline	484	Obsidian
490	Jade

Bijoux is $3.30 per 50 meter (55 yard) spool.

Fyrewerks Soft Sheen is a flat metallic ribbon from Rainbow Gallery. We do not stock the original Fyrewerks thread but only the one known as Fyrewerks Soft Sheen with a FT prefix.

Price per 10 yard card of soft sheen Fyrewerks: $5.00

Bijoux Metallic is $3.10 per 50 meter spool.

REAL METAL THREADS come in various constructions, finishes and sizes. We offer real metal threads primarily made in England, as thse are the most readily available and come in the most varieties. For additional on real metal embroidery threads and metal thread embroidery, please click on our "Books" category.

Real metal threads are commonly referred to by both English and French names - equivalent names are listed here:

• Bullion Matte (French) = Rough Purl (English)
• Bullion Brilliant (French) = Smooth Purl (English)
• Frieze (French) = Check Purl (English)
• Jaceron (French) = Pearl Purl (English)
• Façonnée (French) = Crimped Purl (English)
• Paillette (French) = Spangle (English)

French and English metal threads do not all come in equivalent or corresponding sizes, but some size equivalents are listed here:

French Size	English Size
Jaceron size 5	Pearl purl super
Jaceron size 7	Pearl purl 1
Jaceron size 8	Pearl purl 2
Jaceron size 10	Pearl purl 3

Access Commodities Real Metal Threads are in some instances similar to the above threads, but are listed by English, rather than French names.

These threads come in quite a rather large variety. The vast majority of these are attached to fabric by couching - i.e. laid on the top surface of the fabric and held in place with stitches (in some cases these couching stitches are invisible while in other cases they show and are intended to become part of the effect). Some of these couched threads never penetrate the surface of the fabric at all, while others penetrate the fabric only at the very beginning and very end of the thread, where the ends are "plunged" to the reverse of the fabric.

First are the "purls" which further come in three different varieties. Smooth purls are hollow or tubular threads with a shiny appearance. They are very fluid and remind one a bit of a worm - albeit a very luxurious worm! Rough purl looks the same except the finish is less shiny - it still has some sheen from the metal but to a lesser degree than the smooth purl. A check purl is a very glittery, almost faceted purl. Most purls are fragile and need to be handled carefully, but check purls are particularly fragile and therefore are sold only in one-half yard lengths. Pearl purl (isn't that a funny coincidence of the English language that these two words are homophones?) is a little like a very fine, very elegant "Slinky" toy - it is much stiffer, but the little wires that coil around and around to make up this thread are very distinct and more open than with the other purls.

These real metal threads come in gold. A few of them are also made in silver and copper but due to limited demand the silver and copper ones are not currently being imported. All threads made with real gold will be referred to as "gilt". The following thread prices are for gold only. PRICES OF REAL GOLD THREADS HAVE BEEN GOING UP AND WE ARE ONLY ADJUSTING THEM ON OUR WEBSITE AS WE GET NEW INVENTORY AT THE NEW PRICE. PRICES ON THIS PAGE FOR THREADS MADE OF REAL ARE NOT GUARANTEED; please contact us if you need to confirm current pricing.