Jewelry Findings

Findings is a group name for all the metal bits and pieces that you need to make your own jewelry

A typical self strung piece of jewelry needs the following items

1. Beading wire
2. Beads
3. Crimps
4. Jumpring
5. Clasp

Additional items may include
Crimp covers and horse-shoe (wire protector) wire ends.

Let us look at these one by one.

1. Beading wire

Beading wire is the wire that you use to string your beads on.

Here you can use

• String
• Leather
• Chain
• Ribbon
• Nylon cord (fishing line)
• Beading cable

This is personal preference.
If you want it to last longer you can use cable instead of nylon line. The downside to using cable is that cable can bend and hold a memory where it was bend. Nylon on the other hand may be cut with beads such as glass and gemstones. The heavier the beads the stronger the wire should be.

2.Beads

Be creative and use whatever is at hand. Go to the hardware store and pick nuts and washers or drill holes in seeds or go to www.bronnrocks.co.za and buy affordable beads in our vast gemstone section. Mix and match. Use pearls with gemstones or gemstones with glass beads. There are no rules. If they look great together, string them up. You can make your necklace in many strings or a single string. Sometimes adding an extra 3 strings can just take something out of the ordinary to the extraordinary level.

3.Crimps

Your line goes through the end of a clasp or a jump ring and is then passed through a crimp and the crimp is then flattened (crimped) to hold the beads together. A quick tip here is to allow a bit of slack in the line to avoid the string breaking when you bend the necklace around your neck. There are a lot of great videos on You tube on the use of crimps.

4.Jumpring

You should use a jump ring on the end of your line on both ends. A jump ring is opened and closed with 2 pairs of flat-nose pliers. Balance the right thickness of jump rings with your creation. If it is too flimsy it will not look right. Sometimes they use a pair of jump rings to make the bond stronger or you can use a split ring but these do not look as professional as a single jump ring. If you have the tools and equipment you can solder your jump ring close to make it more permanent.

5.Clasp

Finally you will end your creation with a clasp. A clasp must be easy to open and close. The easiest item clasp here is the magnetic type. Elderly people love magnetic clasp necklaces. They open easily and just pops together when you bring the two ends together. A box clasp may be more secure. There are so many types. Use the one that will look the best with your creation.

Have fun and send us some feedback at support@bronnrocks.co.za