# Jewelry pliers and tweezers: types and uses

> Jewelry pliers (flat-nose, round-nose, cutting, chain-nose) hold, bend and cut metal precisely; how to choose and care for them.

- Source: https://www.711grados.com/en/jewelry-pliers-and-tweezers/
- Language: en
- Note: This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.
- Published: 2026-09-17
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Translation (es): https://www.711grados.com/es/alicates-y-pinzas-de-joyeria/
- Author: Sandra Sánchez
- Site: 711 Grados (https://www.711grados.com/)

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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](https://www.711grados.com/media/diagrams/pliers-types.en.svg "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

- [Wire wrapping](https://www.711grados.com/en/wire-wrapping/)
- [Bending, curving and twisting metal](https://www.711grados.com/en/bending-curving-and-twisting/)
- [Chainmaille (maille weaving)](https://www.711grados.com/en/chainmaille/)
- [Mandrels and ring sizers](https://www.711grados.com/en/mandrels-and-ring-sizers/)