Jun 21, 2022 | GOLD FILLED BEADS, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
Jewelry making is a fantastic hobby, one that can easily be called its own art form due to the maker’s ability to create whatever special designs call to them. What unique designs and jewelry styles call you? Whichever they are and for whomever your future pieces are for, you will need to the right jewelry making supplies and tools before you get started. The following is a quick look at the most essential tools for beginner jewelers that you will want to get before you start buying beading supplies online.
3 Essential Tools for Beginners in Jewelry Making
- Wire Cutters. Wire cutters should be the very first thing you purchase as it will be close to impossible to cleanly cut and create most necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more without them. Wire cutters cleanly cut the stringing wire and pieces like eye pins that you’ll thread your gold filled beads and findings on. Some people think that they can get by with scissors or with old wire cutters that are being repurposed. Don’t. Scissors and old cutters will cause fraying on the wire, which will lead to imperfect ends that are hard and frustrating to work with.
- Round nose pliers. Pliers are so important to jewelry making that the specific style of round nose pliers was designed specifically with jewelers in mind. Round nose pliers have a jaw that tapers to a point and enables the user to perfectly position the wire for a desired looping size. Round nose pliers also help with side tasks like holding clasps open when stringing on sterling silver beads.
- Crimping tool. If you want to keep costs low when you’re first starting out, you can use a chain nose or flat nose plier for this task but it really isn’t recommended. That’s because flat nose pliers work more by smashing the wire down, a process that often creates sharp edges that are unsightly and can scratch the skin, causing discomfort or pain. Instead, consider investing in special crimping pliers or a specific crimping tool. Tools labeled as crimping tools feature special notches within their jaws that will round out and flatten the crimping bead as it secures onto the wire. This creates a clean finish that looks good (think professionally good) and doesn’t have uneven edging.
Got These Tools in Hand? Now it’s Time to Start Making Your Own Beautiful Pieces!
Truly, once you have the above three essential tools for jewelry making, you will be able to hit the ground running! These tools will really help streamline the jewelry-making process and help you finish with more beautiful, professionally-looking pieces. Of course, first, you will need to order your jewelry supplies, like beads and findings. Visit our online store at Crystal Findings today to do just that so you can get started with making your beautiful signature pieces in short order!
May 7, 2022 | Jewelry Making, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
The snow has melted and the days are getting longer; key signs that summer has finally come. And with that warmer weather comes new ways of dressing up and bringing out one’s favorite pieces. Looking for new ways to make your own sizzling summer pieces with your jewelry making supplies? Consider the following exciting summer jewelry ideas:
Four Sizzling Ideas for Creating Jewelry for Summer 2022
- Bright and bold colors. When one thinks of summer, one of the first things that come to mind is the bright light of the sun. So much of what people enjoy most about this season happens outdoors, like swimming and backyard barbecues. As such, bright and bold colors are always a good choice for jewelry pieces. Think bright color beads and the inclusion of gold filled beads and findings which often boast their own bright sunny appearance.
- Chunky and multi-layered bracelets. Chunky bracelets and those bracelets that feature multiple layers also make for fantastic summer pairings. The reason for this is because, during the summer, you often wear things that more expose your arms, such as spaghetti-strap sundresses and tank tops. Chunky and multi-layered bracelets offer a nice contrast to draw the eyes. You can keep things simple with alphabet letter beads interspaced with your favorite filling beads, such as bone or sterling silver beads.
- Choker and short necklaces. Choker and short necklaces are ideal summer jewelry for the same reason that chunky and multi-layered bracelets are — they are going to really accent the more visible neck. A simple ring of pearl beads is a fantastic addition to just about any summer outfit, casual or more formal.
- Ocean or beach-themed jewelry. Are you a person who loves pendants and adding in more structured pieces? Then, when you buy beading supplies online, look for things that can help you create more ocean or beach-themed pieces. Ocean and beach-themed pendants are great summer pieces because they remind us of the things we most want to do and experience during the season, in a similar way that evergreen tree and star pendants are perfect for winter jewelry. So good choices here might be starfish and turtle pendants that help keep that summer spirit in sharp focus.
Visit Crystal Findings for More Special Summer Pieces
We hope this quick look at four sizzling summer jewelry ideas has helped to inspire you and get you thinking about the next creative pieces you want to create, whether that’s for yourself, your friends, or even for sale. But before you start creating, you need supplies! Visit our online store to enjoy a broad array of online beading supplies and jewelry-making packages that will help you build those perfect pieces for yourself, for gifts, and for sale.
Apr 21, 2022 | Beads, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
The fantastic thing about jewelry is that there are just so many options for one to choose from. Today’s jewelry comes in an abundance of shapes, sizes, styles, types, and, of course, materials, that for whatever look you want, you can rest assured their is a perfect piece for you. That said, while there is a variety of materials that jewelry comes made out of, nothing is more classic than gold or silver.
Here at Crystal Findings, gold filled and sterling silver beads continue to be one of our biggest sellers, undoubtedly because of just how classic this jewelry looks and feels. But which type of beads are right for your next custom piece? Let’s take a look at some tips for when you should choose gold filled beads and findings and silver options:
Buying Beads: When to Choose Gold or Silver
Consider your skin warmth and the look you want.
Traditionally, the choices between gold and silver depended upon the person wearing them. This is because jewelry has your skin as the backdrop, in other words, the skin is the canvas and the jewelry the paint. Choosing between gold filled beads versus silver beads is about looking at which material will look best against the backdrop of your body.
Generally speaking, those with cooler undertones (think pink to blue for fair skin and purple to red for darker skin tones) look best with silver, while those with warmer undertones (think yellowish in fair to light-medium skin tones and peachy to golden in deeper skin tones) look best with gold.
Consider your outfit.
Remember what we said about jewelry and backdrops as your skin is not the only thing that serves as a backdrop, so too does your outfit. This is especially true during the winter when you are apt to wear long-sleeved items as well as clothing that covers your shoulders and high necklines. For these times, you might still use that traditional guide of gold for warmer colors and silver for cooler colors, only now you are going to use your clothing as the guide.
The one caveat to the shade argument is that if you are wearing a full black outfit. For full black outfits, both silver and gold or gold-filled beads will create a very striking appearance. Meanwhile, for all-white outfits or tops, gold is preferred as silver often gets lost or looks muted in white.
Shop for Your Beads at Crystal Findings
When it comes to the best in available beading supplies online, no one has the selection as our online store at Crystal Findings. Browse our inventory today to find your jewelry-making supplies and start making your ideal gold-filled or silver beaded jewelry this week!
Apr 7, 2022 | GOLD FILLED BEADS, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
Necklaces are a timeless style of jewelry that transcends cultures and other such lines. You will find that examples of necklaces throughout just about every culture in every era of history on every habitable piece of land. And it’s not hard to understand why. Necklaces, whether made of carved bones or sterling silver beads or plated gold chains bring a certain elegance and distinction to the wearer. Thus, the question often isn’t whether to wear a necklace but rather what type and of what length to wear it.
Different length necklaces have had different eras of popularity. For example, chokers and collars were extremely popular during the 15th and 16th centuries as well as during the 1920s era and for a brief period in the late 1990s to early 2000s. But while popularity of different lengths will always ebb and flow, there are some key things a person might look for to determine specifically which length necklace they should wear or make with their beading supplies.
How to Pick the Right Necklace Lengths for Every Neckline: The 6 Popular Lengths
The best way to know how to pick or make the right necklace length with your gold filled beads and findings is to better understand the six popular necklace lengths.
- Collar. The collar length necklace is the shortest diameter necklace, only 13 to 15 inches around, and is always worn snugly around the neck, well above the collarbones. This necklace is best paired with clothing where the neck is readily exposed, like scoop necks, off-the-shoulders, and V-necks.
- Choker. The choker lies against the base of the neck, often just barely touching the collarbones if at all. The diameter for this length necklace is between 14 and 16 inches. Chokers look fantastic with just about any outfit, but this is a necklace you will want to have a longer or slender-looking neck for. Chokers on short necks accentuate the neck’s shortness, creating a stubby appearnce.
- Princess. Princess lengths fit right on the collarbone with a length of 17 to 18 inches. This is considered an ideal, fail-proof necklace length that will go with anything and look well on anyone — making it a good choice for those just getting started with making their own pieces with jewelry making supplies.
- Matinee. The matinee sits between the collarbone and bust with a length between 20 and 24 inches. Matinee necklaces are ideal for pairing with plunging and sweetheart necklines.
- Opera. Opera necklaces are a hard one to pair. These are 28 to 36 inches necklaces that lie just below the bust. They are best worn layered and with evening wear and one to two color outfits.
- Rope. This is the longest of the necklaces with a length of 36 to 51 inches. It’s much more versatile than the opera necklace as it can be wrapped over and look excellent with both casual and formal wear.
Visit CrystalFindings to Start Making Your Necklaces
Whether you’re in love with chokers or opera necklaces, our large inventory of online beading tools and supplies offer an easy way to get started crafting the beautiful pieces you’re imagining. Visit us today to get started.
Mar 7, 2022 | GOLD FILLED BEADS, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
Whether you are just getting into jewelry making or you have been doing it for some time, you probably will find yourself crafting gold pieces and making pieces with gold-filled beads and findings in high numbers. That’s because gold jewelry is classic. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of gold, other people love gold! And everyone who loves working with jewelry-making supplies will invariably find themselves making pieces for others at some point. Maybe that will be custom jewelry pieces for friends and family, or maybe you’ll find yourself selling at the local art market or on Etsy.
In any case, gold is fashionable. Gold is timeless. Gold will always be popular. Now, gold is also affordable thanks to our special sale. Check out these awesome gold-filled beads that are currently available for discounted prices:
Big Bulk Pricing Sales on Varied Gold Filled Beads
- Gold-filled bone shape beads. Bone-shaped gold-filled beads and findings are fantastic to use as spacers between other pieces. Now, while we call them bone-shaped, it is not because they look like the dog-style bones you often see on merchandise. Rather, these are long cylinders that just slightly flare out on either end. It is this flare paired with the lateral indentations that make the bone gold-filled beads such a good filler bead to use between larger crystals. This end flare works to accentuate round beads and crystals, really showing off their colors and shapes.
- Gold-filled charms and pendants. We have quite a few posts about our Swarvoski crystal pendant beads because they are such a big seller and because so many people who want to make necklaces and bracelets, want to do so with a large charm or pendant at the center point. But you can get the same quality effect by using different types of charms and pendants, such as our gold-filled charms and pendants. Our selection of gold beading supplies online includes fun animal-shaped charms, large and small hearts, and shells.
- Gold-filled plain round beads. Gold-filled round beads are another fantastic filler type of bead. We have these beads available in a wide variety of sizes, from tiny two-millimeter sizes to massive 12 mm ones. We recommend buying a variety of sizes and doing so in bulk so that you can easily add them to different pieces as you mix and match to find that perfect jewelry look.
Visit Our Website for More Gold-Filled Beads and Findings Choices
While these are three special types of gold-filled beads and findings we have available, they certainly are not all. Visit our online store to see our selection and to learn about other types of beading supplies.
