Crimp Bead Crimp beads are round or tubular beads that are used to finish off your necklace or bracelet by attaching a clasp to the beading wire or other stringing material used. Crimp beads can also be used as decorative findings. For instance, they can be found in floating necklaces or as spacer beads in projects. To secure the clasp correctly with a crimp bead, a crimping tool called a crimper is used to help finish the ends of your project. The crimp will be folded and slightly rounded when crimped. |
|
Crimp Bead Cover Crimp bead covers are used to hide your crimp and give a nice clean finish to your project. You may use flat nose pliers or a crimper (the first hole) to attach the cover. |
|
Head Pin Head pins are a piece of wire that is usually straight and has a flat or decorative end that helps keep the beads on the wire. They are used to make dangles by putting on beads and then making a simple or wrapped loop with the end that isn’t finished. Head pins are used in necklaces bracelets and most of all earrings. They come in different gauges, lengths and metal finishes helping to make designing easier. |
|
Eye Pin Eye pins are very much like head pins except instead of a head on the end you have a small loop. This loop is used to attach it to other loops, dangles, links, and findings. Eye pins are also used to make a chain or rosary by making another loop on the open end. And just like head pins, they come in different gauges, lengths, and metal finishes. |
|
Ear Wires Ear wires are used to make earrings by attaching beads to the ear wires. They come in many different finishes and sizes. Also, they come in many different shapes. Some of the most popular are posts, lever backs, and French ear wires.
|
|
Earring Pad Earring pads are used to hold earrings in ears by being placed on the wire in the back of the ear. These types of earring backs have a circular plastic piece surrounding the earring back. They are mostly used for post earrings.
|
|
Earring Back Earring backs are used to hold earrings in the ears by being placed on the wire in the back of the ear. They come in metal or plastic. And, their sizes differ too. |
|
Jump Ring Jump rings are small rings of wire. There are open jump rings and closed jump rings. Open jump rings have a small slit in the wire and are used with two flat nose pliers to help attach charms, chain, finding or beads to another charm, chain, finding or bead. Closed jump rings are soldered closed to form a complete circle and are stronger because of this. They are used a lot with clasps like a lobster claw or spring ring. |
|
Split Ring Split rings are a doubled loop of wire instead of a single loop like a jump ring. They are widely used to hold keys but do come in smaller sizes that are used in jewelry. There is a tool called a split ring plier that makes it easier to open split rings. |
|
Lobster Claw Clasp Lobster claw clasps are one of the most common and popular clasps in jewelry making. They are usually paired with jump rings that act as the catch. They come in many styles, sizes and finishes. |
|
Spring Ring Clasp A spring ring is just like a lobster claw in function, but in looks it is very different. It is circular in shape and has a metal piece that sticks out so you can pull it back to open and close the clasp. It also uses a jump ring or split ring as the catch on the other end. |
|
S Clasp S clasps are an S shaped finding that has a jump ring attached to each open end of the clasp. One side is usually closed onto the jump ring and the other side is left open so you may wear your necklace or bracelet. They are very similar to the hook and eye clasp. |
|
Toggle Clasp A toggle clasp is made up of two pieces, a ring and a bar. You connect each piece to one end of the necklace or bracelet. To use it, you will place the bar through the loop and let the bar sit on top of the loop. Most toggles are single strand but they do come in multi-strand. |
|
Tube Bar Clasp Tube bar clasps are a very popular clasp that is great for multi-strand necklaces and bracelets. The clasp slides apart into two pieces. Leave the clasp together when you are going to add it to your bracelet or necklace because it is easy to put them on the wrong way if they are apart. Lastly, there is another type of tube clasp called the magnetic tube clasp. It makes it more secure because the magnet keeps the two pieces together. |
|
Box Clasp Box clasps come in single or multi-strand. They should be attached while they are still together, otherwise you may attach it upside down. The clasp is usually decorative. Many people like using them to add more to their design. To open, simply press and pull on the little handle. |
|
Multi-Strand Clasp Multi-strand clasps are used when you want to make a piece that uses more than one strand. They come in different styles like toggles, snap clasps, hook and eyes, slide bars and box clasps. The multi-strand clasps are the same as the single strand ones and are used the same, except they have multiply loops. |
|
End Bar Link End bar links are used to go from one strand to multi-strand. There are other uses for them too, like earrings. These links have a bar in the middle and then one loop on one side and then multiply loops on the other side. |
|
Cord End Cord ends are a type of finding that is used to attach leather, ribbon, or other cords to a clasp. There are many different kinds of cord ends. Most of them may be crimped, folded or glued. |
|
Bead Tip Bead tips (also called knot cups) are used to attach thread to a clasp without the friction of tying it right to the clasp. The bead tip hides the knot and connects to the clasp, to have a stronger and seamless finish. |
|
Wire Guards Wire guards are a metal piece that is shaped like a horse shoe and is hollow. They are used in stringing projects to hold the wire so that the wire doesn’t wear and tear. You place the wire guard through the clasp hole just like you would the wire when crimping. And the wire through the wire guard. Wire guards come in different metal finishes and sizes. |
|
Bead Caps Bead caps are usually small metal pieces that are concave in shape. They are used to hug a bead in order to give a decorative look in necklaces, bracelets and earrings. They are usually used throughout a design and not just once. Bead caps come in many different sizes, shapes and metal finishes. |
|