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Jewelry pliers and tweezers: types and uses

· 2 min read · Tools

Illustration: Jewelry pliers and tweezers: types and uses

Pliers and tweezers are the tools most used at the jeweler's bench. Each shape serves a specific task.

Six types of jewelry pliers with the shape of their jaws
Jewelry pliers: jaw shape and use

Types #

  • Flat-nose: hold and make right angles.
  • Round-nose: make loops and curves.
  • Chain-nose: for working with wire and chains.
  • Cutting (flush cutters): cut flush.
  • Nylon-jaw: straighten without marking.
  • Fine-point tweezers: to hold small pieces.

How to choose #

Smooth surfaces, jaws that close properly and a gentle spring that opens on its own. A small good-quality set beats many cheap ones.

Use #

Do not use fine-nose pliers to cut hard wire and do not force them: they go out of alignment.

Care #

Clean them, lubricate the hinge and store them dry.

Which pliers for each task #

Task Pliers
Making a ring or loop Round-nose
Opening and closing jump rings Two chain-nose (or flat)
Straightening wire Nylon-jaw
Holding and bending at right angles Flat-nose
Cutting flush Flush cutter
Reaching a clasp or chain Bent-nose

How to open a jump ring #

Do not pull the ends apart outward: the ring loses its shape. Hold each side with pliers and move one end forward and the other back, as if opening a door. To close it, do the opposite movement.

How to care for pliers #

Avoid cutting hard wire with fine-nose pliers and do not force them: they go out of alignment. Clean the jaws, oil the hinge with a drop of oil now and then and store them dry.

Common mistakes #

  • Marking the wire with serrated jaws (use smooth or nylon ones).
  • Bending the wire back and forth: it hardens and breaks.
  • Using a cutter on hard metal: the edges get nicked.

See also #

This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.