Answer:
Well, bead work is usually for making jewelry, as in necklaces, bracelets, anklets and one can even get rings and earrings out of the deal if you are clever. :)
The tools vary for what you are doing. For example, if you want to make fun, inexpensive jewelry for children, you can use as little as fishing line, acrylic or wood beads, and a lighter. For this simple project, you use the lighter to seal your knots by melting them a little. This, part obviously requires a bit of parental guidance for young ones!
However, if you want to make rosary bead necklaces, for example, you need looping (rosary) pliers, wire cutters, jump rings (metal loops that open and close) and beads, as well as a metal clasp to hold it closed. You could make your own out of the wire, too!
For a woven necklace, you'd need the right kind of thread, the beads, beading needles, alligator clips for holding closed strands you are working on, and the right kind of terminators (ends) that are suitable for a multi-strand necklace. You'd also need a clasp and jumprings, just to connect the clasp to the terminators.
For a standard beaded necklace, you want to think of the following:
1. Does it have a clasp, or is it continuous?
If it is not continuous, you need a clasp.
2. what materials am I using to make this necklace?
If your beads are heavy, you need beading wire, or a very strong thick beading thread that will probably need crimps to hold it together. If you need crimps, you need well, the wire, (tigertail, or other) the crimps, a special crimping pliers, crimp ends (which allow you to attach stuff to the ends of your beaded area) optionally crimp covers (which look like metal beads when completed) or crimp spacers which stay in one place and allow for interestingly spaced designs.
If you don't use wire, and choose a beading thread, it is handy to use glue, the right kind of knot terminators, which again, like the crimp tips, allow you to attach your clasp to the end of your project.
3. Do I have a pendant I want to use?
If so, you sometimes need to get tiny spacer beads which will allow for the pendant to sit properly nestled amongst your other, larger beads. It will also lend stability to the pendant itself. It is helpful if these are the same color as your other metal parts, so it looks professional.
So... you do need your stringing material, hardware (clasps, jumprings, spacers, knot ends or crimps) pendants and beads. Handy to have include magnifiers for placing glue on knots or crimping tiny crimps, bead reamers to widen small bead holes, storage devices for beads and hardware,glue for strengthening knots or crimps, a caddy for holding tools, 2 sets of chain nose pliers for closing jumprings, bead counters and scoops for managing your bead supply, bead boards for laying out designs, trays for holding beads while picking them out, and round nose pliers for reshaping wire.
Frankly, you can get as much or as little stuff as you want... there's a whole industry out there just selling this stuff.