4 Essential Tools For Successfully Starting A Jewellery Business

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The jewellery industry in the UK is thriving, with many Brits spending more than £6 billion on jewellery alone in 2020. It’s the perfect time to start a jewellery-making business, whether to earn some extra income or start a new business, especially if you are creative and love to work with your hands. Perhaps, you’ve already done the paperwork and research that goes into starting a jewellery business, and now you’re wondering which tools you need to help you get started. Here are a few basic tools you will need for your jewellery-making business:

1. Pliers & side cutters

Every jeweller needs to have a set of basic pliers in their toolbox. It would be best to purchase a set of pliers that perform a wide range of functions such as shaping wires and opening and closing. Side cutters are best used for cutting thin metal or string wires to ensure that your designs have a clean final look. If you are concerned about the cost of buying an entire set of pliers, you can buy the most commonly-used ones, which are the flat nose and round nose pliers. 

2. Glue

Because you’ll be working with plastics, stones, and metals, you will need strong adhesives that will give your products a finished look, durable and resistant to wear and tears. There are different types of glues to use. Part epoxy glue can be used on smooth, shiny surfaces like metal and is best used for sticking gems and diamantes onto your product. Superglue is perfect for any piece made out of fabrics and helps secure knots inelastic. You can also try using glue guns for faster and more accurate results. Check out Glue Guns Direct for more available options. 

3. Bench vice

Sometimes, when making jewellery, you will need to perform intricate tasks that require both hands. In such cases, you will need to use a bench vice. Bench vices have two sides called jaws, which firmly secure metal in place. It is the perfect tool to use to polish, fill, or engrave your pieces. Purchasing a bench vice is an excellent investment for a beginner jeweller, especially if you want to improve your metal shaping skills. Ensure that you layer each jaw with rubber to reduce the risk of scratching your jewellery pieces. There are different types of vices available that depend on the type of work. For example, if you are working on larger pieces, you need to use a table vice.

4. Beading needle

You will need a beading needle to help you string beads or pearls in beading projects. These needles are long, thin, and malleable, and they come in various sizes. You might be tempted to use normal sewing needles for your beadwork, but you will need to invest more in a beading needle if you want final quality products. The most common types among jewellers are the English, Japanese, twisted, bigeye, and milliners. English beading needles, for example, come in various sizes and can typically be used on the tiniest possible beads. 

Threading a beading needle can be difficult, especially if you are starting. But with regular practice and understanding each of the types and functions, you will start to get better.

ChrissyJ xxx