Metal Jewelry Making

Jewelry making metals are an important part of the jewelry artist studio. The most commonly used metals are probably silver and gold, however there is a variety of jewelry making metals that give the jewelry artist flexibility when they are designing and creating their pieces.

•        Cost is probably the number one factor.

•        What style of jewelry you design. If you are mostly attracted to silver, you will gravitate towards incorporating silver in your work. Using bi-metals were a layer of gold is fused into sterling silver, can also save money and accomplish the quality you are looking for.

•        Different metals required the use of alternative equipment.

Metals have a variety of alloys

Alpaca: The reduced expense of alpaca makes it a natural jewelry making material substitute for silver in fashion jewelry.

Brass: Combine copper with zinc and you see the golden luster of brass. Bronze was used primarily to create functional items such as door knobs and picture frames. Brass has now gained in popularity as a metal amongst jewelry designers. This process allows you to create unique textures and designs.

Bronze: Bronze was used for making bracelets, ankles, and earrings, and beaded necklaces. Bronze is gaining in popularity because of its color and the easiness to create interesting textures.

Copper: is a great alternative to the skyrocketing prices in the precious metal market. Many jewelry artists and designers have discovered Copper as exciting alternative. Copper jewelry making is easier than ever because of the accessibility of the metal. Copper can be found at jewelry supply and metal supply stores.

Karatium: Alloys are a new family of alloys containing a percentage of gold and have been formulated in response to industry demand for less expensive metals. Karatium alloys also have the advantage over gold filled that the gold layer will never wear off. Karatium alloys are formulated to work well for all jewelry applications and can be cast, formed and fabricated just like karat gold alloys. All Karatium metal jewelry supplies have been formulated for optimum tarnish resistance.

Palladium: Is a lustrous silvery white jewelry making material used in electronics, jewelry, and certain other industries. Palladium is considered to be a precious metal.

Pewter: As copper alloyed with tin became bronze, tin alloyed with copper and lead resulted in pewter.

Platifina: Introduced in 2005, platifina is a new sterling silver alloy comprised of 92.5 percent silver, 1 percent platinum and 6.5 percent other metals (that's a trade secret).

Pure Gold: The more gold an alloy contains, the higher the carat age is.

Gold alloys typically span a range from 8 to 18 carats. An 8 carat alloy means that the gold content is 1/3 and an 18 carat piece is 75% gold. Other common carat ages of gold jewelry alloys are 10 karat and 14 karat.

• Gold Overlay or Bi-Metal: Gold overlay is an application of gold on a base metal piece. A piece of gold overlay jewelry is always stamped indicating the process and the gold's karat quality.
• Gold Plate: This technique chemically bonds a layer of gold to a base metal using electrolysis.
• Gold Filled: This is the process in which a metal is layered with at least 10-karat gold by using heat and pressure.
• Gold over Silver: This is a gold overlay using a silver base metal.

Silver Alloys: Silver, has the highest thermal conductivity.

• Fine-Silver is about 99.9% pure.
• Sterling-Silver is an alloy containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other components, usually copper.
• Argentums Silver is a tarnish resistant silver and fire scale free. Most high quality silver items are stamped with a "fineness" or "quality" mark.

Stainless Steel: Has recently gained in popularity as a jewelry making material, Stainless steel was developed in the 19th Century and is a combination of iron-carbon alloy.

Titanium: Titanium is probably the strongest available. Titanium has an attractive gray tone and gives jewelry a modern look. It is corrosion, tarnish and discoloration resistant.

Tungsten: Also called wolfram, is formed from super dense alloys and is used in products ranging from golf club heads to weapons.

Point to Metal Jewelry Making

Jewelry making is an art and many people enjoy handcrafting the jewelry. The market for handmade metal jewelry is increasingly becoming popular and it can be a very profitable business. You can make professional jewelry using inexpensive material and cleverly adapting traditional methods.

How to Start Metal Jewelry Making

It teaches you to make ring, ear studs, choker and bangles. There is another book called Getting Started Making Metal Jewelry that tells about metal jewelry fabrication. Fabrication includes all the processes such as metal cutting, forming, shaping, filling, joining and finishing. There is much more to metal jewelry making than wire work and bead stringing. There is specialized equipment and skills need time to master.

Choosing Metal Jewelry Making Tools

You can increase you designing potential and save time by choosing the right kind of metal jewelry making tools. Use a tool organizer to park your pliers and other essentials.

Some of the most common metal jeweler making tools are pliers, clasps, adhesives, gripping tools, clipping and cutting tools, cord knotter, magnifier, measuring tools, needles, reamers, safety glasses, solder paste, thimble pads, wire jigs and workplace lamps.

Most important of the metal jeweler making tools are the pliers. They come in various forms such as round nose, diagonal flush cutter, flat nose, chain nose, side cutter, end cutter, loop closing, rosary, bent chain nose, stone setting, split ring, and gem setting pliers.

For cutting and clipping, there are memory wire shear, thread burner, thread clipper, wire nipper, laser scissors, replacement tip for thread burner, craft knife set and slicer. For gripping, there are bonding clips, hemostat, breading tweezers, gem and bead holder, prong lifter, tweezers set, ring clamp, bead stopper and locking tweezers.

Some of the other handy metal jewelry making tools are steel hole punch, needle files, burnishes, scoop set, fine steel wire brush, miniature screwdriver set, bezel pusher, prong pusher, bezel roller, needle threader and spring bar.

Where to Buy Metal Jewelry Making Tools

You don't have to jump and run out to buy all the tools to start making the metal jewelry. It is very easy to shop for all the metal jewelry making tools online.

Use the tools wherever needed and use your hands only to feel your work and guide the tools.

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