What Tools Are Needed For Jewellery Making?

Table of Contents

Basic Jewelry Making Tools

Some of the most essential tools for basic jewelry making include:

Pliers – Used for bending, shaping and cutting wire and metal. Basic types include round nose, flat nose, and chain nose pliers (Source 1).
Wire cutters/snips – For cutting wire and sheet metal. Flush cutters provide clean cuts (Source 3).
Jeweler’s files – For filing down rough edges and smoothing surfaces. Needle files are good for intricate work (Source 2).
Mandrels – For shaping rings, bangles and circular pieces. Ring mandrels help size rings (Source 1).
Hammers – For hammering and texturing metal. Chasing hammers and rawhide mallets are common (Source 3).
Anvils – Provide a hard surface for hammering and shaping metal (Source 2).
Torches – For soldering and annealing metal. Butane and propane torches are inexpensive options (Source 1).
Soldering equipment – Such as solder, flux and picks for attaching metal components (Source 3).
Polishing equipment – Buffing wheels, rouge and tripoli compounds create shine (Source 2).
Magnifying glasses/loupes – For close and detailed work (Source 1).

Metalworking Tools

Metalworking tools are essential for shaping, cutting, and manipulating metal in jewelry making. Some of the most common metalworking tools include:

Saws – Jeweler’s saws have very fine blades for precise cuts. Saw frames hold the blades in place.
Shears – Bench shears are hand-operated and used for cutting sheet metal. Guillotine shears are foot operated for hands-free cutting.
Draw plates – Draw plates have graduated holes for pulling wire and reducing thickness. Used with draw tongs.
Rolling mills – Rolling mills have steel rollers for reducing metal thickness and shaping sheet metal or wire.
Ring mandrels – Tapered steel rods for shaping rings and checking ring sizes.
Disc cutters – Rotary discs with abrasive edges for slicing metal sheets.
Hole punches – Hand punches for punching holes in metal sheets.

With practice, these tools allow jewelers to cut exact shapes, pierce holes, texture metals, and form complex geometric designs (source). High-quality metalworking tools ensure precision and ease of use (source).

Stone Setting Tools

Some of the essential stone setting tools include:

Setting hammers – Used to tap metal around gems to hold them in place. Ideal for prong and bezels. Rio Grande offers a range of sizes and shapes.
Bezel rollers – Roll sheet or wire metal to create rounded bezels for setting. The Rings & Things bezel roller kit has interchangeable heads.
Pusher sets – Precisely fit gems into settings. The Hoodancos 2-piece pusher set has agate pushers for sensitive stones.
Burs – Rotary bits for cutting seat holes and notches for prongs. The RK International bur assortment covers most needs.
Dop sticks and pots – Hold stones securely during setting. Rio Grande offers kits and selections of various sizes.
Tweezers – Gripping and placing gems. The MNJ 3-piece titanium tweezer set provides precision handling.

Jewelry Design and Measuring

Proper measuring tools are essential for designing and creating quality jewelry pieces. Some key measuring tools include:

Calipers – These tools precisely measure the dimensions of jewelry components. Digital calipers provide the most accuracy for measuring very small items like gemstones.

Design templates – Pre-made paper or plastic templates assist with drawing and visualizing jewelry designs. They help ensure proper proportions and symmetry.

Ring sizers – These cone-shaped tools identify ring sizes. The rings slide down the cone until they fit snugly to determine the size.

Gauges – Wire and sheet metal gauges measure the thickness and diameter of metal materials. Higher gauge numbers indicate thinner metals.

Rulers – Standard and digital rulers help measure lengths during the design process. Millimeter rulers work best for small jewelry components.

Having the right measuring tools allows jewelers to digitally draft designs, correctly size components, and replicate pieces accurately. Precision is necessary for professional quality results. Overview of Measuring and Design Tools for Jewelry Making.

Finishing and Polishing

Finishing and polishing are critical steps in jewelry making to refine the final look of a piece. A variety of tools are used for finishing and polishing metals and stones:

Rotary tumblers use abrasive media like stainless steel shot, pumice, or walnut shells to polish metal jewelry parts. The tumbling action smooths and shines rough castings and cut shapes. Popular brands like Lortone and Foredom make rotary tumblers designed for jewelry work.

Polishing laps like ring mandrels wrapped in muslin or buffing wheels on flex shafts refine surface finishes. Various polishing compounds and rouge like tripoli, white diamond, and cratex are worked into the buffing tools. The german-made Dialux polishing system combines flexible shafts and compounds for professional results.

Bench lathes with interchangeable buffing wheels also enable jewelry polishing work. Buffs made from materials like cotton, leather, and felt are charged with polishing compounds and applied with the lathe’s spinning action. Brands like Gesswein offer compact bench lathe systems ideal for jewelers.

The finishing steps remove scratches and tool marks while bringing metals and stones to a lustrous, light-reflecting finish. Mastering the tools and techniques is key to achieving flawless polished jewelry.

Jewelry Workbenches

A sturdy jewelry workbench is essential for jewelry making. Portable workbenches provide a stable surface to work on and can be folded up or rolled away when not in use. Some popular portable options include:

Foldable Jeweler’s Workbench – These fold up for easy storage and portability. They often have multiple levels to hold tools and materials.
Rolling Workbench Cart – A cart with locking wheels that can be moved around and provides storage drawers and trays.
Silversmith’s Work Table – Specifically designed for metal work with polished steel work surface.

Bench pins, bench blocks, and ring clamps help hold and stabilize jewelry pieces during soldering, tooling, and assembly. Third hands with multiple articulating arms are also extremely useful. Brands like Gesswein and Rio Grande offer high-quality jewelry workbenches and accessories.

Jewelry Making Kits

Comprehensive jewelry making starter kits provide all the essential tools and supplies for beginners to get started designing their own jewelry. Many kits include pliers, wire cutters, rings, chains, clasps, jump rings, beads, and findings. Popular jewelry starter kits on Amazon include the SUNNYCLUE DIY Jewelry Making Kit with enough supplies to make 10 pairs of earrings, and the Yosoo 130 Piece Jewelry Making Kit.

Specialized kits focus on a specific jewelry making technique like soldering, stone setting, or polishing. Soldering kits contain a jeweler’s torch, solder, flux, and other essentials for fusing metals together. Stone setting kits provide prong pushers, setting burrs, and claw grabbing tools to securely set gemstones in place. Polishing kits have motorized polishing machines, compounds, buffing wheels, and tools to achieve a brilliant polished finish on metals and stones.

Safety Equipment

Jewelry making involves working with many hazardous materials and tools, so proper safety equipment is essential. Some key safety gear includes:

Protective gloves – Gloves protect hands from cuts and abrasions. Leather or Kevlar gloves are best for metal work. Latex or nitrile gloves help keep hands clean when setting stones.

Safety glasses – Impact resistant glasses with side shields protect eyes from flying shards and debris.

Dust masks – Fine particulates from grinding and polishing can damage lungs. Dust masks trap harmful particles.

Apron – Leather or canvas aprons protect clothes from dirt, oil, and chemicals when soldering or finishing metals.

Proper safety gear allows jewelers to work comfortably without worrying about injuries. Investing in quality equipment improves efficiency and results.

Specialized Tools

Specialized tools allow jewelers to perform specific jewelry making techniques efficiently and with precision (Source 1). Some important specialized tools include:

Ring Shank Benders – These pliers gradually bend ring shanks into curved or waved shapes without damaging the metal. Proper ring shank bending creates a comfortable fit.

Prong Pushers – Prong pushers have pointed tips ideal for grasping and shaping prongs during stone setting. They provide excellent control when placing prongs around gemstones.

Specialty Pliers – Tasks like opening and closing jump rings, twisting wire, and grabbing findings require pliers with unique jaw shapes and tips. For example, chain nose, flat nose, and bent chain nose pliers serve specific jewelry making purposes (Source 2).

Stamping Tools – Steel stamps imprint lettering and designs onto metal blanks or sheet metal. Stamps come in various shapes/sizes. Hammering the stamps transfers the impressions onto jewelry.

Jewelry Tool Brands

When shopping for jewelry making tools, going with a reputable brand can ensure quality, durability, and value. Some of the top jewelry tool manufacturers include:

Gesswein

Founded in 1914, Gesswein is one of the oldest and most trusted names in jewelry tools and equipment. Based in Wisconsin, their catalog includes over 30,000 products including pliers, cutters, torches, polishing equipment, soldering tools, workbenches, and more. Gesswein tools are precision-engineered and built to last.

Otto Frei

Otto Frei has supplied jewelers for over 75 years. Their catalog of over 25,000 tools and supplies focuses on goldsmithing, repair, stone setting, engraving, and other areas of jewelry fabrication. Top brands like Grobet, Foredom, and Durston are available through Otto Frei.

Rio Grande

Rio Grande is a leading supplier of jewelry tools, equipment, and materials for all skill levels. Their wide selection includes products for metal fabrication, stone setting, casting, soldering, polishing, jewelry displays, studio furniture and more. Rio Grande also offers instructional videos and project tutorials.

Swest Inc

Family-owned Swest Inc specializes in fabricating tools, buffs, abrasives, and shop supplies. Their lines cater to jewelers, gunsmiths, and metal artists. Top brands including Knew Concepts, Grobet, and Walton are available from Swest Inc.

Tronex

Tronex provides quality tools and education for jewelers. They carry precision pliers, cutters, mandrels, torches, soldering tools, polishing equipment, workbenches, and more from brands like GRS, Lindstrom, Peggy Fruedenthal, and others. Tronex also offers online classes and tips.