Essential Jewelry Making Tools for Beginners

October 12, 2017

One of the best things about wire wrapped jewelry making is the low barrier to entry for beginners. While an expansive array of jewelry making tools is available to those who wish to explore them, the fact is that only a few essential tools are necessary for a new wire wrapped jewelry maker. All you’ll need to get started with this craft is some beads, wire, and the few tools I’ll describe below.

Round Nose Pliers

Round nose pliers may be the most frequently used tool in wire wrapped jewelry making. Round nose pliers are used to form simple loops and wrapped loops, the two most common “cold connections.” Cold connections are methods of joining jewelry components without the use of heat (as is required in soldering, casting, etc.). Round nose pliers are essential to creating spirals, a decorative element that appears frequently in wire wrapped jewelry, and an aesthetically pleasing way of disguising wire ends. Their tiny tips also make round nose pliers useful for gripping wires in tight places where your fingers may not fit.

Round nose pliers were used to form the wrapped loops connecting the beads to the pendant in this necklace. The round nose pliers were also used to form the center of the spiral near the top of the pendant. The spiral was finished with a pair of flat nose pliers. This decorative method of terminating a wire is frequently used in wire wrapped jewelry making.

Flat Nose Pliers

Flat nose pliers are used for gripping wire, bending it into neat angles, and forming spirals. The gripping function is often used in forming wrapped loops. The wire can be gripped more comfortably and securely with flat nose pliers than with the fingers.

Flush Cutters

There are several types of wire cutters for jewelry making on the market, such as side cutters and end cutters. The type I prefer and recommend is called a flush cutter. I like flush cutters because they cut the wire flush to your work. They are also used for making jump rings and simply snipping wire off the spool.

Tools From Around the House

There are several other incidental tools you’ll find useful for making jewelry. You probably have these around your home already:

A ruler
A Sharpie marker
Rubbing Alcohol (for removing Sharpie marks)
“Mandrels” in various sizes, such as knitting needles, ink pens, colored pencil, lip balms, and so on. Nice steel mandrels specifically made for jewelry making are available if you prefer.

Tools That are Nice to Have

The tools listed above are all you need for many, many jewelry projects. Some useful tools to add to your collection as you wish are:

A ring mandrel You’ll need a forming mandrel, not a measuring mandrel. Some mandrels that are meant for measuring are not completely round, which would not be helpful for shaping rings! Get a mandrel with size measurements. Half size measurements are useful. There are a lot of great jewelry making tutorials there as well, plus the work of the artist who owns the web site, Connie Fox, is beautiful.
A hammer and anvil square Choose a chasing hammer or a ball pein hammer, and a solid steel anvil square. The anvil square serves as a hammering surface.
A cup burr is useful if you wish to make your own ear wires. This tool has a small cup on the end with a rough interior surface. This is used to smooth the sharp cut ends of ear wires.
A bracelet mandrel is nice to have for forming bangles or measuring the size of a bracelet.
A tumbler is used to polish and harden your completed jewelry.

Features to Look For When Buying Jewelry Making Tools

When choosing a pair of round nose pliers or flat nose pliers, look for pliers whose tips close solidly against one another. Choose a pair of pliers the diameter range of whose tips will be useful for the type of work you do. For the health of your hands, choose a pair that opens and closes with ease. One great “luxury” feature of higher-end round nose pliers is that they open automatically, and close with a gentle squeeze. This is much easier on the hands than having to constantly reposition your hand every time you wish to open your pliers.

Unfortunately, when it comes to flush cutters the old adage that you get what you pay for is true. The more high end tools will make neater cuts. If you must use more affordable flush cutters, simply be sure to file your ends and tuck them in carefully so they won’t poke the wearer.