Guide to Jewellery Findings

This list is not exhaustive, and focuses on the contemporary and vintage jewellery findings stocked by Big Bead Little Bead, whilst also covering all the basic findings that you will need.

Crimp Tubes or Crimp Beads

• Crimp Tubes/Beads are tiny metal beads made of a soft metal. They can be used for helping attach necklace or bracelet beading wires to clasps, holding beads in position on stringing wire or cord and for holding together multiple wires. Crush crimp with flat nose or crimping pliers to lock its position on the wire.

Calottes – also known as Bead Tips, Clam Shells and Knot Cups

• Calottes should be used at the ends of your necklace or bracelet to cover your crushed crimp or to hide a knot (secure with some glue inside the calotte and add a seed bead to the knot for extra anchorage). They resemble a hollow metal bead, split in two and hinged at the bottom or side. They have a metal hook at the top for attaching to your clasp and, if hinged at the bottom, a small hole for feeding the wire/thread/cord through. Once in position squeeze gently with a pair of flat nosed pliers to close. Attach calotte to the loop on the clasp or use a jump ring.

Crimp Covers

• Crimp Covers are used for hiding your crushed crimp or knot if you are attaching your beading wire/thread/cord directly to the clasp. Once closed with pliers crimp covers look like a regular metal bead.

Folding Crimps – also known as Thong or Cord Ends

• Folding Crimps are used if you are stringing with lengths of leather, suede, or ribbon. Use these crimps at the ends of your work. They have an end loop so they can be attached to your clasp with a jump ring. Check the width of your tong or cord and make sure it will fit neatly into the width of the crimp. Place the end of your thong or cord on to the middle of the crimp (use a drop of glue if you like), and fold first one then the other of the sides over the centre. Use flat nose pliers to close neatly and securely.

Jump Rings

• Jump Rings are the small heroes of beading! These are generally small circles of wire that are used for linking together all sorts of components. Also available are oval, triangular and square jump rings. Jump rings normally have a split in them at one point, and they can be opened using two pairs of pliers – hold the jump ring in one set and push the wire opening away from you with the other set (never pull the two sides of the opening apart like opening a book, this will distort the shape and weaken the ring). Closed jump rings have been sealed with a tiny amount of solder, so they won’t work their way open. Jump rings come in all manner of sizes, choose the best size to suit your work. Chainmaille is chain made exclusively with jump rings, based on methods used historically to produce chain armour – the best is fabulously complicated to look at!

Eye Pins

• Eye Pins are a short length of wire ending in a turned loop. Add a few choice beads turn or wrap a loop at the other end and this turns into a dangle. Dangles (an inelegant word, don’t you think) can be added to chain, wire, thread, earring components etc. and will give some movement to a piece of jewellery as well as looking pretty. Can also be used to make beaded links – use a turned loop to link to the next link.

Head Pins

• Head Pins are a short length of wire ending in a ‘head’ to prevent the bead falling off (a seed bead can be used to add a little extra diameter if needed). Generally head pins end in a tiny round of metal soldered on horizontal to the wire, but look out for decorative ‘heads’. Turn or wrap a loop to create dangles – see Eye Pins.

Clasps

• Clasps are closures for necklaces or bracelets. Clasps can be as simple or decorative as you like. A clasp doesn’t have to sit discreetly at the back of the neck, some clasps are beautiful enough to be the focus of a piece of jewellery. Your clasp will need to be chosen with some thought to the weight that it will have to bear and to the number of strands that might be supported. Popular clasp types are spring rings (a small circular clasp with a spring operated closure), toggle clasps (one side of the clasp is a ring, the other a bar – think duffle coats), lobster or trigger clasps (another clasp with a spring operated closure, but with a shape reminiscent of a lobster claw), barrel clasps (a cylindrical clasp that will either screw together or hold magnetically), hook and eye, torpedo clasps, and box clasps (often with either a hinged closure, or a push in and squeeze to open mechanism).

Earring Findings

• Earring Findings – Most jewellery wearers will already have a pretty good understanding of the difference between the various earring types. Stud or post earrings are short lengths of straight metal, with a cup, plate or claw setting at one end. A butterfly back is required to keep the earring on. Hoop earrings are circles of wire, available in many diameters and can come with extra loops to add dangles. Hoops can have a hinged closure, one wire end can tuck into the other, or they can have a post and butterfly. Earwires range from a fish hook shape (often with a spring and ball embellishment, and a small loop for adding dangles to) to the very delicate kidney wire (shaped wire without any embellishment). Earwires either simply sit through the ear, or close by tucking the back end of the earwire behind a hook.
  
  

ADDITIONAL ARTICLE KEYWORDS & THEMES:

Jewellery Findings Supplier, Jewellery Findings Supplies, Jewellery Findings Online.

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