Bead and Jewelry
Supplies and Tools

Bead and jewelry supplies and tools can quickly add up to major purchases. In addition, you may find huge differences in both quality and function of these items. The articles in this section are filled with information and reviews on jewelry tools and supplies to help you make informed decisions when you restock your inventory and add to your tool bench.

A friendly source of beads, tools, findings, and jewelry supplies I use and highly recommend is Rings and Things.

Jewelry tools and beading supplies in action!

Choosing the Right Wire Cutter for the Job
Do you need micro-bevel, flush, ultra-flush, or shear cutters? The right kind of cutter for the task will give you beautiful, professional results.

Choosing the Right Jewelry Pliers for the Job
There's a vast array of jewelry pliers out there; how do you know which ones to use? Here are the four main types of pliers used for jewelry making, and features to consider when selecting them.

Jewelry Making Jigs
Learn the various features available in jewelry making jigs so you can choose the best one for your needs.

How Many Tools Do I Need?
Good tools are one of the pleasures of beading and jewelry making. Here are tips for acquiring and maintaining your own collection of jewelry tools.

Moissanite Testing - Is It a Diamond or Moissanite?
Moissanite resembles diamond so closely that it has been known to fool gemologists and electronic diamond testers. Guest author Dennis Shea compares moissanite to diamond, and gives a tip for accurately using a moissanite tester.

Coiling Wire the Easy Way
Coiling wire doesn't have to be hard on your wrists. Guest author Pat Greer details a fast, easy, and fun wire coiling tool you can make yourself.

Metal Jewelry Tags
Jewelry tags in sterling silver and 14k or 18k gold are a professional way for jewelry artists to mark their work. Here's how they're made, and a tool for easily stamping a perfect mark on jewelry tags.

Find the Perfect Ring Size - International Ring Sizing Chart
This international ring sizing chart makes it easy to find anyone's finger size accurately. Includes Elena's five fun tips for finding the best ring size.

The Quality of Your Jewelry Supplies and Tools
"Bargain" jewelry supplies and tools aren't always such a bargain. Here's how I discovered that high quality supplies are often less costly.

I highly recommend Marlize Kasselman's How to Make Beaded Jewelry for beading tutorials and techniques.

Birthstones
Do you know all of your birthstones? Here's a copyright-free list of modern, traditional, cabochon, and zodiac birthstones.

Wedding Anniversary Stones
A copyright-free listing of anniversary stones up to the 80th wedding anniversary. Alternate stones included.

How to Estimate Gemstone Carat Weight
Guest author Mary Harvey explains how to find the carat weight of gemstones, including stones that are too large for a 50-gram gem scale.

Tips for Attending Gem Shows
Guest author Melissa Jeffries describes how to define your market and plan your gemstone purchases in advance so you can get in and out of a gem show without blowing your budget.

The Emerald: One of Nature's Precious Wonders
Guest author G.L. Bycz paints a loving portrait of the emerald, that entrancing green gemstone of legend and lore.

Determining the Quality of Pearls
Pearls are graded on six factors - luster and orient, nacre thickness and quality, color, surface perfection, shape, and size. Guest author Joy Bescardi details how these factors determine the quality of this classic gemstone.

Bakelite Jewelry - the "real" thing
Bakelite jewelry, the colorful plastic fashion of the Art Deco period, is now a highly sought after collectible item. Authors Linda Grossman and Evelyn Roth describe the history of Bakelite, and offer tips on finding genuine vintage Bakelite jewelry.

History of Bakelite
Bakelite, the first completely synthetic plastic, was the accidental invention of Dr. Leo Baekeland. Join guest author Sherry Matsen and find out why Bakelite became so popular, how to test pieces for authenticity, and why it finally became obsolete after its worldwide popularity.

Vintage Plastics
Vintage plastics such as bakelite, lucite, and celluloid are becoming increasingly valuable collectible items. Join guest author Sharon Lemell in finding out the fascinating variety of jewelry and household items that were made from vintage plastics.

Alexandrite
Alexandrite, the rarest of all birthstones, is also one of the most valuable gems in the world. Here are some fascinating alexandrite properties and lore from guest author Julie Lee.

Preparing for the Tucson Gem Show
The Tucson Gem Show is a wonderfully vast and overwhelming marketplace of gemstones, beads, and related goodies. Guest author Judith Altman shares her recommendations for a successful and pleasant experience at this renowned gem show.

Beads made from lava rock

Buying Gemstone Beads
Do you know whether the gemstone beads you buy are really what vendors say they are? Lynne E. Richardson shares her experience with buying semiprecious beads from a vendor - and being deceived.

Beads and the Discovery of the Inner Fashion Goddess
Guest author Tina Tomlovich's account of how beads and learning to make jewelry set loose one woman's inner fashion goddess.

Tips for Sorting and Identifying Beads
Are they vintage glass, bakelite, stone, or mystery beads? Try these great scientific tips for identifying beads from guest author and beadologist Darlynn Lydick.

Secrets of High Quality Lampwork Beads: the Birth of a Bead
Experience how lampwork beads are made, as guest author Laura Christensen Wells takes us on a fascinating journey of creativity and skill as a lampwork glass bead is born.

Bead Show Tips
Attending a bead show can be a fantastic but overwhelming experience. Faced with 200+ bead vendors, where do you start? How do you keep from overspending? How can you lug all your purchases around for hours? How do you keep track of the vendors you decide to buy from online later? You'll enjoy guest author Kathy Reading's fantastic bead show survival tips!

Organize Me, Please!
Deciding how to organize a growing collection of beads and jewelry supplies is an ongoing challenge! Jewelry artist Kathy Reading shares her storage and organizing solutions, including how to get started on getting organized.

10 Reasons I Love Beading and Jewelry Making
What are your top 10 reasons for making jewelry? See if any of your reasons match Charlene Anderson's.

How to Oxidize Sterling Silver Naturally
You can oxidize sterling silver beautifully without using liver of sulfur. Guest author Pat Greer explains how to oxidize silver naturally - using an egg!

Marking Wire Jewelry - and Removing the Marks
Try Jeff Tullock's great tip for marking your measurements on wire jewelry as you create it, and then removing the marks completely when the piece is finished.

Bali Silver vs. Bali "Style" Sterling Silver
What is genuine Bali sterling silver, and what can jewelry artists do about misnamed imitations of true Bali silver?

Palladium in White Gold: an Allergy-Free Metal
Replacing nickel with palladium in white gold makes it an allergy-free metal. Traditional white gold contains a small quantity of nickel, which causes allergic reactions in many people. Palladium, a member of the platinum group of metals, has other advantages as well.

Online Jewelry Suppliers
How do you select online jewelry suppliers? Guest author Lesley Jones' tips will help you navigate between wholesale, retail, large and small jewelry suppliers, shipping issues, hidden costs, etc.

Polymer Clay - the chameleon of jewelry art
Polymer clay jewelry is a fantastic art form. Guest author Christine Haynes shows how the versatility of this material enables the artist to sculpt it, carve it, stamp it, texture it, sand it, buff it, paint it, and build with it to create almost anything.

Jewelry Storage Tips
Jewelry storage doesn't have to be expensive or ordinary. Guest author Emma Starkey combines storage with display to yield several unusual and decorative ways of storing your finished jewelry.

Wow Them With More Colour
Brighten up your jewelry lines with these bursting-with-color techniques from Christine Gierer.

Jewelry Business Software Review: Jewelry Designer Manager
Guest author Laura Stafford reviews Jewelry Designer Manager, a management tool created by a jewelry artist. It's a comprehensive jewelry business software that's also quite popular; here's why.

Design Jewelry on the Fly
Design jewelry anywhere with this fun bead jewelry design utility. Guest author Maryann Humes and her husband developed a web application to design jewelry anyplace you have computer access. Try it!

Check out Crystals and Jewelry for resources for jewelry making, including sources of supplies, tools, packaging and more.

Return to top of Bead and Jewelry Supplies and Tools.

Learn more about Making Jewelry.

Return to Home Jewelry Business Success Tips home page.