Recommended Jewelry Making Tools
Deciding what tools you need to get started on your jewelry making journey can be overwhelming. Getting advice from a seasoned jewelry is the best place to start!
If you are brand new to jewelry making but absolutely loved your first few classes, I highly recommend these 10 products! More great selections can be found below for:
Sawing and Piercing
One of the most foundational tools you will use for metalsmithing is a jewelers saw. I work primarily is 24ga copper and use a 2/0 saw blade for most piercing. For my pierced designs that are primarily line art I will sometimes use a 0 saw blade so the line is thicker. For intricate piercing of patterns you may want to go with a finer blade such as a 4/0 or 6/0 depending on the gauge metal you are piercing and the details of your design. Regardless of the blades size you will need a jewelry's saw frame to use the saw blades. There are many fancy options on the market, but if you're just getting started try a basic version first. I've been use my jeweler's saw frame for over 15 years.
When sawing, it's important to keep your saw blade lubricated. You can use a specially designed lubricant for saw blades like the Eurotool Cut Lube or you can simply use beeswax bars. Remember to always lubricate your blade but applying wax or lubricant on the downward stroke. Applying upward can clog the teeth of the saw blade.
Before beginning to cut I like to drawing my design on the sheet metal with an ultra fine point permanent marker. If your design is intricate I would cover your design in clear tape prior to sawing or you can rub the marker of the metal with your fingers while working with it.
Jewelry Bench Pins
A bench pin is a piece of tool that every jeweler needs in the toolbox. If you don't have a permanent jewelry bench you can use a style of bench pin that clamps to a table. A simple bench pin will have one v-notch. Other options will include a variety of notches and grooves to assist with making various jewelry components.
If you have a workbench where you can mount a bench pin to the edge of the surface I would recommend purchasing a metal mount and wood bench pin with a flat surface and an angled surface. The angled surface works well for filing the edges of sheet metal.
Forging and Texturing Jewelry Tools
There are so many fun tools for texturing and forging. But to get started, purchase a small steel block that you can use on workbench, a few hammers, and a leather mallet.
I love a domed face hammer for creating hammered textures and for forging flat areas on wire.
Hand Tools for Shaping and Cutting
To get started you will want a few basic hand tools such as round nose pliers and wire cutters. These is an easy rabbit hole to go down! There are so many hand tools available to make the process of creating various components simpler.
One of my most use pliers are my parallel pliers. These pliers close parallel instead of at an angle from one hinge point allow you to grab onto the metal without pinching one side of it. It works great for work hardening and straightening ear posts and wires.
Non-marring pliers are a great tool to have on the bench so you can shape the metal without marring the surface. Gently curve your metal designs in the finishing stages of fabrication.
If you're working with heavier gauge wire like 10ga or 12ga copper wire you'll want a heavier diagonal cutter in addition to a small flush cutter that is prone to breaking if used on heavier gauge wire.
Files and Finishing
Every design needs to finished. Starting with metal files, then moving to fine grit sandpaper, and finally a polishing wheel. A good file may be an investment, but you can get a lot accomplished with a high quality half round #2 and #4 file. These are some of my most used tools on the workbench and have lasted for years with proper care. A #2 file is more coarse than a #4, so it will remove metal at a quicker rate. A #4 file is the perfect next step before you start using sandpaper or finishing wheels.
Are you a fan of a satin finish...use course 3M pads to achieve that brushed look!
For that shiny polished finish you'll need some patience, tripoli and rouge polishing compounds and buffing wheels from a polishing cabinet, flex shaft, or dremel. If your serious about making jewelry, I highly recommend the Foredom SR flex shaft which is great for drilling, texturing, and finishing your designs. Starter kit is linked below!
To give your designs depth and that dark rich color, use liver of sulfur diluted in warm water. Dip your metal in or paint on to select areas that you want to darken. After applying the patina you can then polish again to bring a shine back to the raised areas of the design for more dimension and contrast.
