Jewellery making tools and skills

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by: clickthrough
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Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 Time: 1:58 AM
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Jewellery making requires time, effort and passion like any other hobby or profession. Jewellery making also requires a specific set of jewellery tools and skills, like a mechanic requires his toolbox and those who enjoy playing rugby have their gum shield and rugby boots. If you are thinking of taking up jewellery making then read on because these tools and skills are essential in making sure your finished product is to perfection.

Here are the essential tools needed in your jewellery making kit:

1. Pliers - The most essential tool you probably need when crafting your jewellery. There are three kinds of pliers used to help manipulate the wire needed. Firstly, there is the round nose plier, which is ideal for making loops and spirals but is not so good for gripping. The other set of useful pliers is the chain nose pliers that are more suitable for gripping wire as the flat edge gives them more grip. Lastly there is the wire cutter pliers, which are essential for the jewellery maker. They allow you to easily trim and cut your wire to the length you require. It is important not to use normal wire cutters for cutting memory wire as it can damage them.

2. Jeweller's files - They will help you file away at the sharp ends of your wire so that they can't injure whoever wears your jewellery. Jeweller files are essential for removing excess material, with different sizes available for working large areas or at a more intricate level. For cleaning up your piece after filing, jewellers often use sand paper, emery sticks, or wet and dry paper with a range of grades allowing them to achieve different finishing effect.

3. Polishing cloth - You need a polishing cloth when you hold your wire with pliers to straighten out jewellery. This will prevent any scratches or marks left on your wire.

4. Rulers - Not just for maths class, rulers are necessary for jewellery makers too as they ensure that you have the right length of wire for the piece you are working on.

5. Tweezers - It's a good idea to invest in some tweezers specifically for jewellery making as they are vital when picking up small items for crafting jewellery such as beads, clasps, it is almost impossible with just your fingers. It can also be difficult to your work with only your hands. Tweezers can help you pick up items that are too small or too difficult to hold.

Jewellery making requires a number of skills, and the tools above will help to achieve them. A steady hand will make sure wiring; trimming and making your jewellery are done to perfection. A passion for jewellery making is required if you're going to put your time and dedication into a project. There many jewellery making courses around the UK where you can learn the skills required to build necklaces, bracelets, earrings or any other jewellery you want. The above mentioned tools will ensure that you can create basic jewellery in a simple and easy way.

About the Author

Adam Hunter - E-commerce Marketing Manager of cooksongold.com. Cookson Precious Metals offer a choice of supplies from over 10,000 products including gold and silver wire, jewellery making tools, jewellery packaging, making jewellery,and other precious metal clay and art clay silver - gold, silver, platinum and palladium, fimo moulds and plus technical information for jewellers, jobbers, designer, craftsmen, artisans and students.