I’m new at this and don’t know much of anything about beading or jewelry making yet, just one wiring class at a local bead store. When I see semi-precious stones in other people’s handmade jewelry, the stones are almost always polished looking. I bought a strand of tiny amethyst stones & various other pieces the other day to start experimenting with. But I noticed that the amethyst looks dull. I never see dull looking stones like that on etsy jewelry or at craft festivals. There must be a way to polish or shine it up? Hopefully a way that doesn’t require buying even more loads of expensive tools & materials, lol.
How can I polish/shine semi-precious stones? Can I just buy some kind of special liquid solution to rub onto the stone with a cloth to polish it? If so, is there also a special cloth I should use, or is any fabric fine to use? Thanks for your help!
you use stones to polish stones in a stone tumbler, I am including a link to one just so you can see what they look like and how they work, and not because I am promoting this particular one
I love tumbled stones and used to have a friend who would give me his rejects, I have quite a collection
there are also polishing cloths, but they are very time consuming unless the stone is already smoothed down around the edges
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Hello, I was reading a blog about a young
woman that makes her own jewelry and it
I went to her online store and her jewelry is
just amazing.
It truly inspired me to want to go
and start making jewelry both for fun
and a little profit also.
My problem is I have no idea where to
start, i dont know where to get the tools
the products to make them or even where
to get certain metals/wood/plastics to design
them and its kind of discouragiing
here is her jewelry site:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5753653&order=§ion_id=&page=3
if there is someone out there that could help
i would really appreciate it
thanks in advance
-PeAcEā„
and theres no such thing
as bad advice ill take anything
thank u all for helping
Hey there,
I’m on the same boat! I’m 20 and I sell on Etsy. 
Here’s how I did it. Well to start off, get an idea of what type of jewelry you want to make. For example, do you want to make charm necklaces/jewelry, beaded jewelry, or eco-friendly jewelry? Once you figure that out, search online for any "bead stores" in your area. If you’re in the U.S., Michaels, Joanns, and Hobby Lobby all have a decent selection of beads and findings. If you’re overseas, you can search on Etsy.com for supplies. Just click on the drop down menu where it says "handmade" on etsy next to the search bar, change it to "supplies" and search for beads, charms, chains, or whatever. You’re going to also need some tools! Most jewelry-makers don’t go without a decent set of pliers. Personally, I think a set of round nose, flat nose, and cutting pliers are very important. Once you have the supplies, just search online for jewelry making tutorials. You can also buy a bead magazine/jewelry book. Hope this helps get you started!
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I have seen all the metal stamped washer jewelry and love it. I am wondering if i can get the same look by using a handheld dremel tool? I have one already and am wondering if anyone else has tried it. Any suggestions? I just think I could do more designs and it would be cheaper than ordering a new metal stamp each time I want a different font or picture. Any helpful comments would be great!!
Thanks!
Hi jwright7981,
You may want to consider using a laser engraving company for this. We have engraved washers for commercial use and it is relatively inexpensive, much cheaper than a different metal stamp for each design. By having them laser engraved, once the pattern is setup repeat orders are fast and designs can be changed anytime where you’re stuck with a metal stamp.
A dremel would work to carve metal, but would take a long time and no two pieces would be exactly alike. Since you indicated getting a stamp I assume you want to make patterned pieces in quantity, so a dremel would not work well for this.
Hope this helps and good luck.
Regards,
Mike Perrino
M&G LaserWorks
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GOOGLE MANUFACTURERS OF MACHINERY AND CUTTING TOOLS AND YOU WILL FIND PLENTY .
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I am looking for the quintessential guidebook for jewelry-making. I know there are many out there, but is there one (or two or three!) essential book(s) that people at all skill levels (who do this for a living) use?
I would like a couple of references that clearly define the tools and methods for jewelry-making that goes beyond stringing beads. I know I need to practice those basics as well (I mostly have that covered), but I am more interested in making wearable art from found objects, ie: watch movements, things I find in antique shops, pre-existing old jewelry (re-made), etc…
Mostly what I have been finding on the web is the standard, craft-store beading and charm supplies. on that note, I am also looking for a high quality chain and clasp supplier (findings) that is a little less mainstream. Any tips?
I would greatly appreciate any help! Thanks in advance I am looking for the quintessential guidebook for jewelry-making. I know there are many out there, but is there one (or two or three!) essential book(s) that people at all skill levels (who do this for a living) use?
I would like a couple of references that clearly define the tools and methods for jewelry-making that goes beyond stringing beads. I know I need to practice those basics as well (I mostly have that covered), but I am more interested in making wearable art from found objects, ie: watch movements, things I find in antique shops, pre-existing old jewelry (re-made), etc…
Mostly what I have been finding on the web is the standard, craft-store beading and charm supplies. on that note, I am also looking for a high quality WHOLESALE chain and clasp supplier (findings) that is a little less mainstream. Any tips?
I would greatly appreciate any help! Thanks in advance I forgot to specify that the finding sources I am looking for need to be WHOLESALE Thanks again!
The jeweler’s ‘bible’ is "The Complete Metalsmith" by
Tim McCreight. There are several editions, the latest of which
includes a CD (the most expensive one also). You’ll learn all the basics and a whole lot more.
He does not include ‘Assemblage’ jewelry, which is what I think you want to make. You also do not mention what media you wish to work with. Metal clay may be something you should investigate.
I suggest you go to a website called ‘about.com’ and look at their articles and free on-line courses for jewelry. There is an incredible amount of information on just about everything & it’s all free!
A great source for silver clasps, findings & beads is www.bali-handmade.com. It is handmade bali silver directly from Bali, Indonesia, no middle-man, you will however have to pay a nominal importing duty billed by fed-ex.
Good luck & let me know how you made out.
Paula @ pgreengarden@yahoo.com
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I want to start making jewelry necklaces, earrings, bracelets as a hobby I know they sell a lot of tools to help you with, Can someone give me the absolute "must have" tools you need also ones that will be used a lot!
i know it depends on what type of jewelry i want to make, im not quite sure of that yet, i know i don’t want to work with clay, im thinking wire work and possibly beading.
thank you
Okay, so I started beading a few years ago and i found that these are the three most important tools to have:
* round nose pliers (used for making loops in wire)
* flat nose pliers or chain nosed pliers (used for holding and bending wire at right angles) i use both, but either is probably ok for starting out. Chain nose pliers are good because they have a small tip allowing you to do more detailed work.
* flush cutters (used to cut wire)
there are of course many other tools which make beading/wire work easier such as nylon jaw pliers, crimping pliers and many others but these three are really the ones you need to start off with
you can also get pliers which are 3-in-1 type of things which include many different tools in the one. but these can be more expensive
as with all tools, prices range from cheap to really expensive professional ones. Most people say to by good tools to start with because they’ll last longer, but if your like me and at first didn’t really know what to do, sometimes the cheaper, not-so-good options are better just until you really know what you want to do.
also, you can probably buy the three pliers I mentioned in a set. That’s how i first bought mine.
Another thing to look out for is that the pliers don’t have serrated edges as this can damage and scratch the wire or findings.
Other must have equipment is basic jewelery findings (earring hooks, clasps, etc) this makes it easier when you suddenly have a fantastic idea, you have some of the necessary items already available. Again these come in a range of materials making them cheap or expensive. As i only make jewellery for myself, i don’t mind having clasps which are not sterling silver as it makes my jewellery a little bit cheaper but once i got into it, I did buy some more expensive tools as it does make everything easier.
hope this helps
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I have just recently taken up beading. I am really enjoying making necklaces and bracelets but i find it tricky to make a neat knot close to the beads to stop them from moving about too much. I always seem to have a little gap between the knot and the beads. I have seen a Beadalon knotter tool and just wondered if anyone has ever used this? Are they worth the money as they are quite expensive? Any other tips/ tools i could try? Thanks!
I bought the tool you mention and found it too finicky and gave up. I bought a tweezers with needlepoint tips and use it much the same way as the needle method described by Willeke. I’m still not great at it but I guess practice makes perfect….actually I do more wire wrapping and rosary-style linking instead as I’m better at that….
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Can I use a Dremel tool as a high speed drill for jewelry making.If so,what kind of drill bits would I use?
You can use a dremel tool as a drill for jewelry making, but what type of bit depends on what material you are drilling.
If you are drilling a stone (cabochon, slab, tumbled pebble) or glass type material, you will need to use a diamond tipped burr. In this case use the dremel on low speed (not high), and keep the burr ("drill") wet with water or oil to keep the stone cool. The burr will actually grind through the stone to create your hole.
If you are drilling metal you can use a thin shaft drill bit in the dremel (as long as it fits correctly), you don’t have to worry as much about heat, but keeping the speed down will give more control.
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hello i want to teach my sister some jewellery making where exactly can i buy the head pins eye pis the tools & some beads for making fabulous earrings & what is the approximate rates i need to spend ?
why not google and make an online order?
if you have interests in the online store, you can try this one
http://www.8season-supplies.com/
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i really want to start making sterling silver jewelry at home. i want it to be sort of rough and original, not perfect. i’ve looked into sterling silver wire, sheets, and PMC (precious metal clay). i’m not sure what’s best to use. i don’t have a kiln though and i’m not sure if i can afford one (if you have one to recommend that would be great). i have a 70 watt old hand-held torch and an old 100 watt hand-held. they both just plug into the wall (not quite sure how they work). but i thought that i might be able to use that to melt PMC and solder/ melt things together using that. i need help deciding what materials and/or what additional tools or torches i need to get. also, any good sources for wire, sheets, and PMC. i wish to be able to melt down metal into shapes using molds and such, but i’m not sure if i’m ready for that, so i figured shaping and melting PMC might be my best option. ANY help or advice is welcome! Thanks!
Great advice!! thanks so much! any suggestions on brands of torches i should get? there’s so many varieties and options. i’ve looked at 8-in-1 gas soldering iron and torch combo. thought this might be a good option but im really not sure what will get hot enough….
Okay, for a torch, you need something that actually makes fire. If it plugs into the wall, it’s probably not going to get hot enough. You’ll want a gas torch to do it right. You’ll also want one with a small tip for soldering so you can have some degree of precision. I use an acetylene air system, which is pretty hardcore for the beginner, but quite reliable. Supposedly you can torch fire PMC, so you don’t have to have a kiln. I strongly advise taking a class or three in jewelry/metalsmithing, as there is a lot of room for error in soldering and casting and mistakes get very expensive very fast. I would practice using copper or bronze first. PMC isn’t as prone to dangerous issues (at least to my knowledge), so it’s a fairly safe starting place if you lack money or a place to take classes. Rio Grande is probably the easiest source (they have everything you need), but they do supply only to the industry, so you may have a bit of trouble. Of course, if you’re a student or jewelry professional (and I think you’d be the former) there shouldn’t be a problem. Other sources: Hoover and Strong (metals), Contenti (tools)
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