This post is all about what findings you should keep stocked in your bead box, and some other findings that might come in handy.
Findings are basically the hardware of the jewelry world. They are defined as "The tools and materials used by artisans." Findings can be found in different colors such as silver, gold, gunmetal, black, copper, or bronze, and different finishes. Here is my list of what findings are a necessity and which ones are just nice to have on hand.
Necessities:
- Head Pins - Head pins are a stiff piece of wire with a little cap on one end to keep beads from sliding off. These are commonly used to make earrings, but can also be used to make charms. I always keep plenty on hand for when I am making a necklace and have beads left over to make a pair of earrings to match. Head pins, much like other findings, come in a variety of colors and finishes. They also can have ball tips, decorative tips, or paddle tips. You can typically find standard head pins at any craft store in a small assortment of colors.
Head pins are a stiff piece of wire with some kind of cap/tip on one end.
- Earring Wires - Earrings wires are absolutely needed for making earrings. Earring wires come in different types fish hook, spring back, and hoops. They come with a small loop on the bottom so you can attach charms or beads on head pins.
Two different common styles of earring wires. The first pictured wire has a small ball bead and coil of wire for decoration, the second is very minimalistic.
- Jump Rings - Jump rings are tiny little circular pieces of wire with a single split in them. They come in handy in so many scenarios and projects. They act as little links between different components. They can be used in so many ways, such as part of a clasp, a simple bail, and can be linked together to make extenders. Jump rings come in a ton of different sizes and are measured in millimeters (mm) as many beads are. I recommend having different sizes, I usually keep 3-4 sizes of jump rings on hand at any given time.
Always twist the two ends of a jump ring in opposite directions instead of pulling them directly apart. This will keep from damaging the ring and will make it easier to close flush.
- Crimp Beads/Tubes - If you plan on making necklace, bracelets, or some other types of jewelry, you'll definitely be in need of crimp beads or tubes. You can find crimps in either a bead style or a tube style. One style isn't better than the other, it all is just personal preference. Crimps are used to secure the ends of wire. You run wire through the crimps (which are like beads) and then you close them by flattening them with a pair of jewelry pliers.
Crimp beads (left) and crimp tubes (right).
- Clasps - You'll want all of your necklaces, and depending on preference, bracelets to have a clasp on them. Clasps are what open the necklace or bracelet so you can put it around your neck/wrist and then secure them so they do not fall off as you wear them. There are so many types of clasps, but my personal favorite are lobster claw clasps. I used to use a variety of clasps on my jewelry but my customers always requested lobster claw clasps and I have now exclusively switched to using that style. But you can also find eyelet and toggle claps easily and s-hooks are also common.
Lobster Claw style clasp.
- Chain - I always keep length of chain in different colors if I need to add an extender onto a necklace. I find that sometimes I will buy a 15-inch or 16-inch strand of beads and need to make it a few inches longer, I will add an inch or two sections of chain to each end of the necklace and then secure a clasp on the ends of the chain. You might also find that you/family/customers like having a length of chain with the clasp so they can adjust the length of the necklace or bracelet to fit their own bodies or to compliment a particular neckline or sleeve length.
Different styles of chain
- Wire (or some sort of stringing material) - There are many types of stringing materials like ribbon, thread, stretch cord, or wire. I HIGHLY recommend stainless steel wire and that's what I'm going to focus on here, just know you will need something to string your beads onto. I like using stainless steel wire for my jewelry because it is sturdy and flexible at the same time. It will provide you with reliable integrity for your jewelry. When buying wire, you will find different thread counts. Basically the steel is cut up into very fine threads and the threads are encased in a coat of plastic. The more strands you have, the more flexible your wire will be, but it will also be more expensive. There are also different thicknesses of wire which will also play into the flexibility of the wire. My weapon of choice is 19 strand 0.18in silver wire, but that's just my personal preference.
Wire will come on a little roll like seen here. You will find the strand count as well as the thickness on the packaging. (This is the exact wire I use.)
Also nice to have: An assortment of colors. I have all of these in at least silver and gold, but you can find these materials in copper, gunmetal, or black in a variety of finishes like shiny, matte, or antique. You will find that with some beads, gold compliments the color pattern better than silver or vice versa.
Nice to have:
- Studs (and earring backs) - Not everyone like fish hook style earring wires. I always have a pack of studs on hand in case I get a request to switch the earring over to a post. When using posts, remember that you will also need a backing to hold the earring in place!
Post earrings will have a loop for you to attach the beads or charms to. Don't forget the backing!
- Clip on earrings - Some people don't have pierced ears, and you don't want them to feel left out! Clips on earrings bases are great for taking a normal earring and switching it over to a clip on so anyone can wear your earring designs.
Clip on earrings have a spring in them to make them easy to put on and wear comfortable.
- Eye Pins - Eye pins are very similar to head pins, but instead of having a cap on the end, they have a little loop. They make making jewelry easier and faster, but you can easily snip of the cap of a head pin and make your own loop with a pair of pliers.
Similar to head pins, eye pins are made of a stiff wire.
- Bails - Bails are a decorative way to connect a pendant to a wire, chain, or other stringing material. You can use jump rings to accomplish the same thing, but bails are much more decorative.
A very simple bail. They come in many sizes and designs.
- Cord Ends - Cord ends are an alternative way to finish off the ends of your necklace rather than crimping then. They are particularly nice to have when you are working with ribbon or have multiple strands on a piece of jewelry.
Super simple cord ends.
- Crimp Covers - Crimp covers aren't a necessity, but they sure do look good. They look like little "C"s that you wrap around your crimp and then gently squeeze closed to hide the crimp.
Crimp covers can also have other textures or patterns.
- Stretch Cord - You can choose to make bracelets out of wire and a clasp if you choose, but stretch cord is a nice alternative if you want to make your bracelets easy to get on and off. I like using .7in clear stretch cord. It's sturdy and professional. I prefer making my beaded bracelets with stretch cord over wire.
Just like wire, stretch cord comes on a roll.
This here is my box of findings. On the left I have chain and jump rings, then I have head and eye pins and crimp beads, over towards the right I have cord ends, earring bases and clasps.
So that's it! I will do a separate post on pliers and other tools. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to contact me!
