Tools
Jewelry tools are the instruments and accessories used to create, repair, or modify artisanal jewelry pieces. Some of the most common jewelry tools are: Sandpaper, Jeweler's saw and blades, Torch, Ring mandrel, Hammer, Jewelry drill, Steel bench block, Refractory brick, Precision pliers, Jeweler's files, Magnifiers and microscopes, Jewelry scales, and Punches.
Catalogs and vocabulary
Tools
Starter tool kit for jewelry making
Which basic tools you need to start making jewelry: pliers, saw, files, hammer, mandrel, torch and materials, with an indicative budget.
Tools
Rolling mills: how to flatten metal
The rolling mill flattens and stretches metal into sheet and grooved wire; manual and electric types, how to use it and how to care for it.
Tools
Draw plate
The draw plate is a steel plate with decreasing holes through which wire is pulled to thin it or change its section; how it is used.
Tools
Jeweler's hammers and mallets
Jeweler's hammers (ball, planishing, chasing, flat-faced) and rawhide or nylon mallets are used to forge, texture and shape without marking.
Tools
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.
Tools
Jeweler's files: shapes and cuts
Jeweler's files (flat, half-round, round, needle) and their cut numbering; how to choose and clean them.
Tools
Mandrels and ring sizers
The ring mandrel is a graduated steel cone for curving and measuring rings; there are also bangle mandrels and finger sizers.
Tools
Jewelry drills and burs
Drills, the flex shaft and burs are used to pierce, cut and shape metal; bur shapes (ball, cylinder, cone), speeds and safety.
Tools
Jewelry making tools: the jeweler's basic tools
A guide to the basic tools for making jewelry: cutting, filing, bending, soldering, casting, measuring and safety, with a link to each one explained.
Tools
Casting molds: investment, rubber, silicone and sand
Casting molds shape metal: investment molds for lost-wax casting, rubber and silicone molds for wax and resin, and sand or graphite molds.
Tools
Anvil, steel block and stakes
The anvil, steel block and stakes are the bases on which metal is struck; shapes, polished surfaces and care.
Tools
Jeweler's scale and caliper
The precision scale weighs metals and gems (grams, carats, grains) and the caliper measures thicknesses and diameters; keys for buying and making.
Tools
Casting crucibles: types, uses and care
The crucible is the heat-resistant vessel where metal is melted; types (graphite, ceramic, silicon carbide), how to choose one and how to care for it.
Tools
Graphite ingot molds and rods in casting
Graphite is used in jewelry for ingot molds, stirring rods for molten metal and soldering blocks, because it resists heat and molten metal does not stick to it.
Tools
Metal ingots and casting grain
Ingots and casting grain are the starting metal in casting; how to calculate the amount of metal for a piece and which alloys are used.
Tools
Jewelry spatulas and chisels
Jewelry spatulas and chisels are used to model wax and to shape and finish cast metal; types, uses and sharpening.
Tools
Jeweler's saw and saw blades
The jeweler's saw is an adjustable frame with very fine blades for cutting metal; blade numbering, tension and how to cut without breaking them.
Tools
Ultrasonic machine for jewelry
The ultrasonic machine cleans jewelry with vibrations in a liquid; frequency, solutions, times and which pieces must not go in.
Tools
Protective equipment for casting
Safety equipment for melting metal in jewelry: heat-resistant gloves, glasses or face shield, natural-fiber apron, closed shoes, ventilation and a fire extinguisher.
Tools
Jeweler's torches: gas, oxygen and mini torch
Jeweler's torches (propane, gas with oxygen, the butane mini torch) give the flame for soldering, annealing and melting; types, flame and safety.
Tools
Jeweler's bench and bench pin
The jeweler's bench is the work table with a V-notch and a drawer (or leather) to collect filings; height, lighting and organization.
Tools
Jeweler's loupe and microscope
The 10x loupe and the gemological microscope are used to examine stones, solder joints and marks; how to use a jeweler's loupe.
Tools
Crucible tongs: what they are for and how to use them
Crucible tongs grip the hot crucible to pour molten metal; types, how to choose them and safety rules.
Tools
Basic tools used in casting
The most common tools used in jewelry casting. They can vary depending on the type of jewel and the technique used by the jeweler.
Tools
Jewelry Oven
What a jewelry kiln is for: lost-wax burnout, melting, enameling and annealing; types, temperatures and care.