The Basics - Earring Findings

There are many categories of earring findings available that can be used for the incredible assortment of earring styles. The categories of earring findings include but are not limited to:



Earstud. This is your basic earring finding, secured with an earnut.


Earwire. Many of today's earring styles are enhanced by earwires, nicknamed fishhooks.


Hoops. You can dress up a hoop in many amazing ways!


Leverback. This is more secure than earwires.

That about covers it for findings. Of course there are many more, but the findings covered so far are the ones that are more commonly used by jewelry crafters.

We'll continue our intro to jewelry-crafting with stringing materials next.

The Basics - Findings

Hello, again. So, today we'll continue our talk about the basic things needed for jewelry design. On to findings.

Findings
Findings are the pieces that hold jewelry together. These help add a certain panache to the jewelry pieces to make them look ‘finished’ and professionally made. There are quite a number of things that will classify as findings but we’ll talk about the ones that you are most likely to use often.



Jumpring. Use these as connectors or for chainmail jewelry.


Splitring. These are more secure connectors.


Headpin. The head holds beads on the wire.


Eyepin. Unlike headpins, the eye allows you to hang another jewelry part at the bottom.

Crimp tubes. Use these to secure your wire or thread when finishing your bracelet or necklace.


Pinbacks. Glue these to a cabochon, or other small element, and create a pin.



Spacers. Use these to stop beads from rubbing together, reduce the number of beads you need in a piece, or just add a touch of elegance. Many decorative versions available.

Next stop, earring findings.

The Basics - Tools

Before you start a project or a profession, you'll want to know what you'll need to do it well. So we'll start by talking about the basics. We'll talk about tools, findings, stringing materials and the other things you'll need to make jewelry. This section will be in several parts and then we'll get on to the good stuff - actually making jewelry!


Tools
Just as a carpenter needs tools to build or fix things, so too does a jewelry maker. Yes, you need a tool box too to keep your tools organized - or not, it's up to you :-) So what kind of tools do you need? Lets talk about them.

Jewelry pliers - There are several different jewelry pliers out there, at least 12 by my count, maybe many more. Some of them go by different names. Here's a list of the pliers you will use more often, with a brief description of what each one does.



Chain-nose pliers. Used mostly for opening and closing jumprings.


Crimping pliers. Use with crimp beads.




Flat-nose pliers. Use for holding, gripping or bending wire.



Round-nose pliers. Use these to form loops and jumprings.



Side-cutting pliers. Use for cutting soft wires, like precious metal.




As I said earlier, these are just the basic pliers that jewelry-makers use, there are others. The next topic for basic materials is findings. Be sure to check back!

Hello!

Welcome to How to Make Jewelry!

I love everything about jewelry. I especially love seeing my ideas come to life....so to speak. I started experimenting with jewelry-making two years ago. In that short time, I've gone from making my own beads from polymer clay and resin to just working with ready-made beads.

I also love to read and now I have a nice collection of really good books about jewelry. I learned most of what I know from these books but I'll tell you about them later. I'm still learning, there's so much to know about this craft.

I'm really excited about sharing what I've picked up so far with you. Maybe I can help you avoid some of the mistakes I made along the way. So, without further ado, lets get started!