Essential Jewellery Making Tools For Beginners

Like any other craft, jewellery making has a list of essential tools that will make your hobby much more enjoyable and your results much more professional. For the beginner it can be confusing as the huge selection of tools available range from the basic to the specialist. However, there are certain jewellery making tools that should have a place in everyone’s studio.

The first thing to look at is your surroundings. Tools don’t just include pliers and cutters – the definition also incorporates things such as adequate lighting, a suitable working area and good storage facilities. Ask any jewellery maker or craftsperson which is the most essential tool of all and they will all tell you the same thing: good lighting. Without adequate lighting you will find it harder to do fine work and you risk straining your eyes. If you have directional lighting make sure that it doesn’t come from behind you, as you will end up casting your own shadow across your work, making it difficult to see fine details.

Once you start making jewellery you will be surprised how quickly you start to accumulate equipment, so apart from having a good working area make sure you have plenty of storage facilities. Findings or bead storage boxes are ideal. They’re strong and compartmentalised, meaning there are plenty of separate sections to keep findings and beads stored safely.

There are three basic types of pliers used for jewellery making; round nose, snipe nose and crimping pliers. Round nose pliers (also known as rosary pliers) have rounded jaws that taper to a point. They are used for bending wire and for making loops, coils and spirals. Snipe nose pliers are semi-round with the inside of the jaws being flat. They are used for bending and wrapping wire, making loops and opening and closing jump rings. Crimping pliers have specially notched jaws that are used to fold and crimp metal crimp beads.

Wire cutters, preferably flushing cutting, are essential for making clean, precise cuts on wire, beading wire, eyepins and headpins. It may be tempting to use a pair of ordinary wire cutters to try and save money, but jewellery wire cutters are designed specifically for use with the different types of wire used in jewellery making. A pair of good wire cutters is an investment that will keep their sharp cutting edge for far longer than a cheaper alternative.

Because you are using tools, safety must be a consideration. A good pair of safety glasses is a wise investment and although you won’t need them for simple projects such as stringing beads, cutting wire can produce small chips that can damage the eyes very easily. You will also need to consider other safety measures if you are using glues and adhesives, so ensure that your working area is well ventilated. If you are using any heat (such as kilns or gas burners) then ensure that your jewellery making equipment includes a heatproof surface to stand hot objects on.

Finding a good supplier is your next task. There are plenty of jewellery equipment suppliers, so the first thing is to find one that has a reputation not just for supplying the hobby market, but for supplying the professionals as well. You can be certain that the equipment they supply will be of the highest standard. It is a case of paying for quality, but the bare essentials such as the three basic pliers and a pair of wire cutters will give you a good starting point. From then you can add equipment as you go along, including magnifying work lights, speciality pliers, reamers and, of course, plenty of books on jewellery making!