Posted by admin on Dec 20, 2010 in Beading Tips | 0 comments
Jewelry Findings is an old world term used to describe the components which go into the making of jewelry, and includes items such as caps ,clasps, earrings, crimps, Head pins and eye pins, Jump Rings, and bails.
Bead caps give your designs a professional touch that no other component can add. They hold beads in place, and also add the decorative element to them. Whether you prefer simple or fancy designs, these bead caps will give your work a signature touch that will tell the world the details matter to you.
Crimp beads are used to hold your wires or string together, or to hold beads in a certain place on a bracelet or necklace. An integral part of jewelry making, designers rely on clasps to hold their creations secure as well as provide the finishing touch to a design.
Crimp Beads offer a secure and professional finish for all types of designs. Crimp beads are most often used when stringing a beaded piece (like a bracelet or necklace) which has been strung with beading wire. The crimp beads finish the end of the beaded piece of jewelry and help create a loop for the clasp to be attached to. They can be used in the place of a bead tip or in addition to one in order to help keep the knot inside of the bead tip.
There are two kinds of crimp beads: tube shaped and round shaped. The tube shaped crimp beads are most often available in sterling or gold-filled, while the round are normally made of base metal. I have to say that I have found the tube shaped crimp beads to be much easier to work with. So, if you are new to crimping, I would recommend starting with tubes.
Head pins and eye pins are an important part of making dangles. These pins are nothing more than a piece of wire with a head on one end to stop your beads from falling off. The head pins will have a flat head and eye pins will have a loop. They come in all sorts of different gauges, lengths and materials. You can even find decorative head pins with some sort of added head design instead of just a boring flat head. The only downfall to head pin is you have to make sure the head of the pin is larger than the hole in your jewelry beads, otherwise, your beads just slide right off.
Bails are the jewelry making findings hold your pendants in place and attach them to your necklace. Some pendants come with a bail built in (a way to hook the pendant to the wire, like a loop or hook, etc…), but sometimes you can’t find exactly what you want. Bails help you create your own unique pendants, and give you a way to attach them to the rest of your project.
Jump Rings or split rings are possibly one of the most important of all the jewelry findings. They are the connectors of just about anything and everything. They are a small piece of round, or shaped, wire with a split that you can pry open, link to something else, then close back up again. They are, in essence, a split ring. There’s a ton of different sizes, colors, materials, shapes and styles to choose from.
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