Jewellery making isn’t something new; it has been there for ages, perhaps that is why it is one of the most profitable businesses. These days many jewelries are made by machines, but the charm of a hand-made is unparalleled. The demand for a bespoke piece of jewelry has increased because each piece is unique. Every handmade jewelry requires a mammoth effort and hogs a lot of time. The right set of tools not only reduce the time and effort in their making but also allows its maker to be more creative. Those tools help you with chores such as attaching, folding, bending, cutting, and finishing. Each tool is suited to a particular function, and therefore, using the right tool is the key. For beginners, you’ll just need some simple hand-held tools such as wire cutter and pliers. For the first time in history we, at HKS Jewelry, are sharing the tools we use the most to make personalised jewelry for our peers.
- Chain Nose Pliers: They are used for opening and closing jump rings or for gripping a wire. Their tapered tips give you better access to small spaces. They have extra reach and ability and give more control when you have to bend wire, tips, corners, parts, and chains. There are some variants in flat nose pliers, but for making a jewelry we would recommend that you go for chain nose pliers that are smooth on the inside. Avoid chain nose pliers with ridges on the inside because the mark they leave behind can put a dent in your craftsmanship.
- Flat Nose Pliers: These are somewhat similar to chain nose pliers but their jaws do not taper towards their tip. Their broader surface makes it easier to grip jewelry wire. Flat nose pliers may not be as important to a basic jewellery making toolbox as chain nose pliers but you will need a second set of pliers for holding wire while you design it.
- Round Nose Pliers: These pliers allow you to make loops for connecting jewelry together either via wires, headpins, clasps, rings, and so on. As they are rounded, they are perfect for making rounded wire elements and simple loops. The jaws of round nose pliers taper towards their end, which helps you to position your wire along the jaw to get the desired size of the loop.
- Crimp Tool: A crimping tool is a device used to adjoin two pieces of metal by deforming either one or both of them in a way that they hold each other. This tool has got two notches in the jaws. Use the first notch nearest to the handles to slightly flatten and round your crimp bead onto the wire and turn it into a ‘C’ shape. When you are done, use the notch near the end of the pliers to shape this ‘C’ shaped bead into a round in the form of number 7.
- Wire Cutters: As the name suggests, it allows you to cut headpins, eye pins, and jewellery stringing wires. Always place the flat side of the cutters closest to your work for a closer cut. You should never cut memory wire with your wire cutters as it will put dents in your cutting edges making the wire cutters fairly useless. There is a tool made for precisely cutting memory wire.
- Chasing Hammer: This is used to straighten wire, metal, imprint metal or shape metal.
It can also be used for metal stamping; making something fit your jewelry design needs. It has a ball-peen side for riveting and metal design. The forged head is wedge attached on a wooden handle.
At HKS Jewelry, we use many more tools for making customised jeweelery, but the ones mentioned above fall under the category of essential tools. The jewellery that you see on our website are made by expert craftsmen who use such tools for making your favorite customized piece. We know that you love unique and personalized jewellery and that is why when you order one of them from our website, we send it to you in a wonderful HKS gift box, which in itself is a piece of art that you would want to treasure!