The 5 Most Common Tools You'll Need for Jewelry Making

The 5 Most Common Tools You'll Need for Jewelry Making

 So, you log on to your Amazon account or shop on Google in the hopes of finding a jewelry making kit. And if you’re like me when I started, you’ll find that there are an overwhelming amount of tools available to the jewelry crafter!
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From mandrels, to pliers, jigs, hammers and on and on the list goes. The question that pops into your mind, “Ok, that’s all great and all, but what do I really need to start?”
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I hope to answer that question for you.
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Hi, I'm Ellie and I’ve been crafting jewelry for a little over 15 years and have used many different tools, but I have found that these five are the main tools that I continue to use the most for making handmade jewelry.
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*Just a note: Most of the tools listed below can be found included in a single kit. I’ll list some links at the end to help you find jewelry making supplies for starting out.
  1. Chain Nose Pliers
I don’t think that there has really ever been a jewelry project where I have not used this incredibly handy tool! They’re great for making sharp bends, holding a wire in place while you work with it and tucking in sharp ends on your work. A definite must in a jewelry maker’s tool box!
2. Round Nose Pliers
These are extremely handy for making loops, swirls and the like! I’ve even been known to use them in making jump rings when I need a couple for a piece.
Typically, round nose pliers have gradient teeth. The further you place the wire into the mouth of the plier, the larger the loop.
There are many different sizes, but don’t fret! I’ll list some links below to some great starter pliers.
3. Flush Cutters
This is an essential tool to the wire jewelry maker. You will always have an instance where you will need to cleanly cut your wire. And you don’t want to necessarily shop cheap here. You may find some for around $5 or so, but I’ve found that the cheaper pliers tend to dull quickly, thus making them useless.
Often times, you may have a pair of these pliers in a kit, but they are often not the best quality. In my case, I ended up purchasing a separate pair that cost a little bit more, but are a much better quality!
4. Nylon Pliers
Sometimes you need a flat nose or chain nose plier, but you are trying to be oh-so very careful of not marring the wire. (Especially when working with coated wire). In that case, it may be best to use nylon pliers.
The nylon nose of these pliers are soft on the wire, mainly because the nose of the pliers are typically made with plastic or, you guessed it, nylon. I use them quite a bit when I need to compress or really manipulate the wire, but don’t want to damage it.
5. Small Mandrels
You can use Sharpie pens or larger makers from some things, but I like to have a mandrel with gradient steps available to me when I’m making things like ear wires and jump rings.
You can buy a plier version, if you’d prefer, though I still use the simple step mandrels. They also tend to be a little less expensive and are easy to use. The mandrels I purchased came in a pack of two, similar to the picture above.
 
So, there you have it! The 5 main tools that you’ll need in making almost any piece of jewelry. And as time goes on and you get better at your craft, you can add more tools to your collection.
 
Links to Jewelry Kits
 
These tools are great for wire wrapping, chain maille, and making commonly used jewelry findings. They are the foundation to build your tool collection upon.
 
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This article contains links that if you make a purchase, I get a small commission.
 
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- Ellie <3
 
My name is Elizabeth Schultz and I'm the jewelry designer behind Ellie's Handcrafted Jewelry. I've been making jewelry for about 16 years and have been selling jewelry for over two years. My goal is to help others learn the beautiful art of jewelry making.
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