The Eleven Tools About Beading & Jewelry Making That Every Jeweler Requires

You’ll also need a pair of flat nose pliers and a few additional wire-wrapping equipment if you want to produce necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and other beading & jewelry making . However, before you spend a lot of money on a lot of gear, you need learn the fundamentals. Here are the tools that I believe every jewellery maker should have.

1. Pliers with a Flat Nose

These are going to be your go-to options. They’ll assist you in opening jump rings, completing wire-wrapped ends, and a variety of other chores you’ve yet to envisage . You might want to have two pairs so that you can grab anything without crimping the metal. Make sure the pliers’ jaws have a smooth surface between them.

2. Pliers with a Round Nose

These will aid you with the creation of wire loops and hoops, as well as bends, clasps, and jump rings. When you want to make a lovely smooth curve, you’ll reach for them.

3. Pliers with a Nylon Tip

It takes some practice to learn how to bend wire, and your material will inevitably kink. You have the power to curse the gods… Alternatively, you can use a set of nylon-tipped pliers. Simply take one end of the wire, tighten your hold with your pliers, and draw the wire through to smooth it out beading & jewelry making.

4. Wire Cutter No

These are what you want, and you want them to be of top quality. There are several low-cost options available, but they can soon wear out, especially when cutting thicker wire. Both Swanstrom and Lindstrom make excellent pairs that will last for years. Make the investment for the sake of your future self.

5. Cutter for flushing

Cutting a lot of wire for your new wire-wrapping techniques? Think of using a flush cutter. You’ll use them in the same way as normal wire cutters, but they’ll never leave any loose ends! However, keep in mind that flush cutters can only handle a certain gauge of wire (and you don’t want to break your pair by cutting something too thick). (I speak from personal experience.)

6. Materials for Practice

You don’t want to spend a lot of money on silver or gold fill wire until you know what you’re doing. Copper or other base metal wire will allow you to get a feel for things without wasting precious metals.

7. Ruler 

A standard ruler is the most fundamental piece of jewellery equipment, and you probably already have one. I prefer a graphing ruler since the ability to see through it aids in my visualisation.

8. Punch the disc

Do you wish to cut circles, squares, or even hearts in a consistent and consistent manner? Look no further than the a disc punching, a device that generates similar patterns each time.

Simply sandwich a sheet of metal between the two layers, insert the proper circle, and hammer out a disc with a disc punch. I’ve discovered that a brass hammer works best because it’s hefty enough to provide a lot of extra strength while yet being soft enough to land a strong blow with little bounce back. Price, once again, equals the potential to deliver the same results while saving you time.

9. A jeweler’s saw is a tool that is used to cut diamonds.

If your designs are small and require a lot of small, intricate cuts, a jeweler’s saw is the way to go with beading & jewelry Making. Blades available in a multitude of sizes, from tiny blades that hardly seperate the metals to powerful, thick blade that eliminate extra metal, permitting you to wonderful the work of an item.

Standard blade frames and blade frames with a deeper throat depth are available. If you’re working with a long piece of metal or a larger piece, the deeper one will allow you to make long cuts. My rusty, ancient jeweler’s saw gets a lot more use than my small jeweler’s saw about beading & jewelry making. This is due to the fact that a smaller frame is easier to manage, which is something to consider if you decide to get one.

10. Wire

Wire is comes in a multitude types of material, such as sterling silver, gold-filled, rose gold, aluminium, and copper, to highlight a very few. The higher the gauge number, the thinner the wire, which may seem paradoxical. The three sizes you’ll need in your jewellery tools are listed below.

Wire of 24 gauge

This gauge is perfect for tasks that require a little extra strength or for beads with larger holes.

Wire gauge 26

Most beads will fit through this wire. It’s thin enough to make wire-wrapping a breeze, yet substantial enough to keep things secure. Just be careful not to crimp or bend it too many times because it isn’t very strong.

Wire gauge 28 or 30

You’ll need extra-thin wire if you’re dealing with small precious stone beads, which are famed for their teeny-tiny holes. Keep in mind that this wire isn’t ideal for wire-wrapping those stones onto a bracelet (or any other piece that will be jostled around) because it’s quite delicate.

11. Use Your Creativity

Look around to see if you can hack something you already have. Do you need to draw a circle? Take a look in your refrigerator. To mark your metal before cutting, use a baseball bat instead of a mandrel or a marker. Soon, you’ll notice jewelry-making tools in unexpected places!