My Tools

The tools that I am using for almost all of my jewelry-making projects are shown here. These tools include a pair of good scissor, chain-nose pliers, round-nose pliers, and side cutter.

Pliers are absolutely essential in jewelry-making, and it would be especially worthwhile for you to get a good sturdy pair of pliers. If you are serious about learning this craft, do not settle for a set of pliers that seem almost too cheap to be true. During my early years of jewelry-making, I had bought some really cheap and crappy tools that seem almost useless now. In fact, I had put them away with all my other heavy-duty home-maintenance tools and pliers. Remember, if you want to make beautiful wire-work, you will need good tools to accomplish your goal.

When selecting your pliers, try holding them in your hand, and see if the handle feels comfortable in your palm. If you don't feel very comfortable holding the pliers, chances are when you are working on your project for several hours straight, your hand is going to feel very sore and tired.

One more important thing on pliers! I also prefer pliers that operate on regular springs rather than double-leaf springs. One thing I find about pliers that operate on double-leaf is that the leaf tend to lose its alignment and became quite annoying. Take a close look at the round-nose pliers that is shown in the picture above, notice the spring between the handles, try to pick a pair of pliers that operates on this kind of spring.