Where I Buy My Jewelry Supplies (And What I Order the Most)

One of the most frequent questions I get from fellow jewelry makers and beginners alike is "where do you get your supplies?" After years of trial and error, I've finally settled on my favorite vendors and must-have tools that help my jewelry business run smoothly. In this article, I'm sharing my go-to resources for everything from stones to business supplies.

Stones - The Heart of All My Creations

Quality stones make all the difference in handcrafted jewelry. My absolute favorite supplier is Casdans. Their selection of gemstones offers excellent quality at reasonable prices, and their customer service has always been stellar. I typically order:

• Exquisite polished cabochons (Teardrop and oval are my favorite shapes, but they have soo many more!)
• Beads (Great for accents or even as a main focal piece.)
• Faceted stones for accents (I especially love the sparkle of cubic zirconia!)

Wire - The Foundation of Wire Wrapping

For wire supplies, I rely on two primary vendors:

CraftwireUSA (available on Amazon) offers fantastic affordable wire for everyday projects. Their copper wire is my go-to for practice pieces and standard designs.

Rio Grande is my choice for higher-end pieces. Their sterling silver and gold-filled wire maintains its luster beautifully and gives my premium pieces that professional finish that customers expect.

Essential Tools I Can't Live Without

Every jewelry maker needs reliable tools. Here are the ones I use daily:

• Starter Plier Set - Perfect if you're just beginning your jewelry journey and don't want to spend too much.
• Professional Plier Set - What I currently use; the investment in quality tools has significantly improved my work.
• Convex Chasing Hammer - Essential for work hardening wire and creating texture. I prefer the convex shape over the flat head as it is more forgiving when hammering wire.
• Steel Bench Block - The perfect partner to my hammer!
• Spring Clamp - Holds your wire securely while making it easier on your hands.
• Ring Clamp - Same as the Spring Clamp, but uses less hand strength to open.

Polishing & Cleaning - The Final Touch

The finishing touches make all the difference in professional-looking jewelry:

• Sunshine Polishing Cloths - These are magical for quickly brightening tarnished pieces!
• Pro-Polishing Pads - Great for shining up your pieces quickly or adding to your orders for your customers!
• Rotary Tool - A game-changer for efficiency! I love my Dremel rotary tool!
• Sunburst Polishing Wheels (for the rotary tool) - Creates a brilliant shine in half the time!
• Sanding Pads - Essential for smoothing wire ends and polishing up hammered works.
• Renaissance Wax - Helps protect finished pieces from tarnishing too quickly.

Storage Solutions

Staying organized saves me countless hours:

Drawer Options: I use compartmentalized drawers to separate findings, beads, and tools by category. This makes my workspace efficient and helps me track inventory.

Here's some of the options I've used in the past: 

• Photo Containers (I love using these for beads and components) They typically have multiple little boxes that are stored in a larger case. They're especially great if you like to travel with your projects!
• Jewelry Box with Drawers (Has a nice soft lining to protect your stones)

Container Options: For smaller components and precious stones, I use sealed containers that protect against moisture and dust. (I've also found some storage boxes like these at Dollar Tree that do the trick!)

Jewelry Accessories

These finishing elements help complete my pieces:

• Chain - Gemplus24 has the best color chain to match my pieces while making it affordable for my customers. If you're looking for solid metals like copper and sterling, I recommend checking out Fire Mountain Gems or Rio Grande. 
• Jewelry Boxes - Professional packaging elevates the unboxing experience and helps to showcase your branding.
• Jewelry Cards - Custom cards add a professional touch and help to showcase your creations. (I like using Gems on Display. They have some really lovely gold leaf options, if you're into that kind of thing.)

Business Supplies

The behind-the-scenes essentials:

• Shipping Boxes - Sturdy protection for pieces in transit. My favorite box size is 4x3x2 when shipping one piece at a time or 6x6x2 for larger orders. 
• Mailers - For smaller items that don't require rigid packaging.
• Business Cards/Care Instruction Cards - These dual-purpose cards help build my brand while providing customers with necessary care information. (I love using Canva to design my cards and other promotional prints!)

This article contains affiliate links which means I get a small commission when you purchase through them. It helps me continue to create free content for you, so thank you for your support!

I hope this resource list helps you source quality materials for your own jewelry-making journey! If there's something you don't see listed, let me know in the comments below.

I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful in creating your own beautiful jewelry. If you have any questions or want to share your work, don't hesitate to reach out. 

Happy weaving!