Jan 20, 2022 | JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
Jewelry isn’t just something you wear. Especially not when you create unique pieces via custom jewelry making supplies. Precious jewelry pieces become a part of who we are as we use them to accentuate our features and provide insight into ourselves, such as our favorite colors, animals, and themes. With such a role, your precious pieces of jewelry deserve to be well cared for. After all, the better you maintain your pieces, the longer you will get to enjoy them. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite tips for cleaning and caring for our beaded jewelry pieces.
How to Clean and Care for Beaded Jewelry
- Take regular care of your beaded jewelry- There are many ways to clean your beaded jewelry and we will discuss a few ways in the next pointers but you can avoid these cleaning tips and tricks by taking care of your jewelry on a day-to-day basis. Take off your jewelry before sleeping and give a quick wipe down to remove any settled dust or junk between the beads. Invest in a velvet-lined jewelry box that will protect your jewelry and limit the oxygen that gets to the beads.
- Use toothpaste on silver but never gold or gems. As you browse online DIY tips for cleaning and caring for jewelry, you are apt to find toothpaste recommended as a good cheap cleaning material. Be cautious with this advice. A small dab of the most basic of toothpaste is great at removing the tarnish and gunk on some types of jewelry, most notably for any type of silver piece and some stone beads. Sterling silver beads and findings are thus a good choice for this technique. However, the same slight abrasive nature of toothpaste that makes it great for cleaning off tarnish makes it not so great at cleaning less hard pieces, such as softer gemstones or delicate cloisonne beads. For our customers who buy gold-filled beads online from us, we recommend not to use toothpaste as it risks scratching and causing discoloration.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to apply mild soap and water or a jewelry-specific cleaning agent. In the end, the best technique to clean your beaded jewelry is going to be the boring technique. The technique doesn’t rely on tricks or finding odd items in your pantry to use. Rather, be patient and use a very mild soap and water mixture to clean your jewelry of any gunk and tarnishing. A soft-bristled toothbrush is best for applying this mixture and getting in angles and divots. Use a soft cloth rag as a final wipe-down.
When in Doubt, Take to a Professional
If the mild soap and water mixture isn’t getting your pieces properly sparkling, then you might want to consider taking them to a professional. An expert jeweler has the tools and know-how to get your pieces beautifully cleaned. And when it comes to making more pieces, don’t forget to visit our site for the best wholesale beads and jewelry supplies.
Jul 1, 2021 | JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES, Sterling Silver Beads
There can be a lot of bumps in the road for those new to jewelry making. Fortunately, the internet is filled with information and ideas to ensure a smoother journey. YouTube holds a wealth of information, and you can’t beat its show-and-tell video format if you’re new to creating your own jewelry designs. To help you, we have scoured the platform and found three YouTube channels for you to watch if you are new to jewelry making.
Top YouTube Channels for Jewelry Making
Jewel School is the perfect place to get fresh ideas and learn how to turn wire and beads into your own signature jewelry designs with the latest available tools and techniques. This fun, jewelry-making community is always making something great, releasing a new DIY project each week that you can create along with online instructors. Jumpstart your creativity, learning how to work with beading staples like sterling silver beads and findings. Then add a touch of pizazz with pro tips and advanced beading techniques, creating one-of-a-kind custom designs you can’t wait to show off to your friends.
Jeweler’s Academy offers a 1-year online diploma in jewelry making for those interested in custom silver and gold jewelry making or expanding their creative capacity. This diploma program from the award-winning London Jewelry School is designed to take you from complete beginner to professional jewelry in 1-year, with a minimum 1-day per week minimum commitment. The program is highly supported, featuring one-on-one mentoring from trained professional jewelers, weekly group Q&A, and an active Facebook community. The program covers:
- Fundamentals like sawing, soldering, filing, polishing, and finishing jewelry
- How to make bangles, earrings, pendants, and rings with high-quality Shamballa beads, Swarovski crystal beads, stone beads, and other accents
- Designing and drawing jewelry
- Wax carving
- Granulation
- Making wedding rings
- Arranging tightly set stones
- Crafting hinges and rivets
- Incorporating business skills such as jewelry photography and how to launch a successful jewelry business
Artist Basia of Stardust Mine Jewelry is a self-taught jewelry metalsmith. Her artisan, handcrafted jewelry designs are truly stunning. On her channel, Basia shares her experiences making jewelry to smooth the process for fellow crafters and entrepreneurs. On her channel, you can:
- Take advantage of step-by-step tutorials
- Find out about timesaving, stress-reducing jewelry making tips and hacks
- Learn the basics of working with gold-filled beads in bulk
- Get need-to-know information on selling your custom jewelry designs
- Find out about the latest tools and product reviews
- Learn about cleaning, storing, and organizing your jewelry
- Get tips on photographing and shipping your jewelry
- Uncover how to get past a creative slump
- And much more – this channel is packed with information!
Are you feeling inspired? Begin your beading adventure. Stock up and start creating, shopping the wide selection of jewelry beads and stones wholesale available at Crystal Findings today.
Apr 27, 2019 | JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction that comes with crafting something with your own two hands and imagination. That’s especially true when it comes to making your own jewelry. Whether you’re looking to sell your creations professionally, give them away as presents, or keep them for yourself, making fine piece of jewelry can be a great way to pass the time, especially if you’re already a crafts-oriented individual. Of course. If you’re going to embark on such an endeavor, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re working with the best materials possible.
Here, then, are a few things to keep in mind when ordering the best beading supplies online.
Gold-Filled Beads and Accessories
It should come as no surprise that gold continues to rank among the most popular materials for beading. After all, it’s consistently remained synonymous with the beauty of and value to which we assign jewelry for millennia. That being said, there’s something special about being able to create a gold necklace or bracelet all on your own, using only some beading supplies and your own imagination. To pull this off, you’ll want to purchase high-quality gold filled beads. When doing so, you’ll want to pay close attention to the different kinds of patterns and designs offered. There are a wide range of options available here, including plain beads, rigid corrugated beads, curved tubes, and all manner of fancy twists and designs.
Silver Beads and Accessories
The same holds true when it comes to sterling silver beads and findings. You can find much the same selection for these sterling silver options as you can for their gold filled counterparts. As such, one of the most intriguing options when buying beads to create your own necklaces and bracelets is to mix the two together in order to create stunning combinations. You’ll often find solid silver or solid gold jewelry items out there on the market, so mixing silver and gold-filled beads can be a great way to set your own creations apart.
Tools and Supplies
Of course, the best silver and gold-filled beads in the world won’t count for very much if you can’t actually get them on the string and wire in the proper fashion to successfully make a bracelet, necklace, earring, or other creation. That’s why you’ll also want to take the time to acquire high-quality bulk jewelry making supplies. As with the gold-filled and silver beads, these can include a wide range of items, from strands and pads to pliers, glue, and so much more.
Introduce a touch of craftiness and elegance into your life by ordering the gold-filled and silver beads as well as the jewelry-making materials you need to create custom necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and so much more.
