Open a small parts box and the names start to blend together. Beads are recognizable, of course. But what about findings, clasps, crimp beads, ear wires, jump rings? Do they seem like tiny extras, insignificant little details instead of the necessary building blocks of any jewelry design? They may look minor, but the fact is that these tiny elements will determine whether a piece is safe and stable to wear. Will it feel comfortable on the skin? Will it look tidy when finished? Will it stay closed when you want it to?
Beads are the decorative heart of many of the simplest projects beginners try. They can bring color, movement, sparkle, weight, sheen, shape or focal points to a piece. A larger stone or glass bead can serve as the centerpiece of a pendant. Small seed beads can provide fillers between larger beads on a bracelet, or the dangle of matching beads in a pair of earrings. As beautiful as they may look sitting in a tray, the size of the hole, the weight, the surface texture and the shape of the beads are important because these are the qualities that will make them compatible with the choice of wire, cord or chain used on the piece.
Findings are those parts used on a piece to attach one element to another, close the piece and create a point where components connect, hang or move. The category can include jump rings, clasps, ear wires, crimp beads, head pins, eye pins and small connecting links. Beginners sometimes treat the search for the right finding as an afterthought, perhaps even not understanding how much of a project’s design depends on this decision. But a finding that doesn’t match the project can cause problems. A clasp can throw the balance of a bracelet off if it is too heavy. If the jump rings on a charm bracelet are too weak to support the added weight of charms, they can spring open and you will lose pieces. An ear wire will look awkward if it doesn’t match the style of the dangle and may even fall loose from the ear if not made with enough gauge to support a heavy drop.
Clasps deserve a special mention. The style of the clasp you choose will affect both how well your piece fits and how it functions for you. The clasp on a bracelet has to stand up to the movement of a hand as well as the weight of the bracelet itself. On a necklace, the weight of the clasp must match the style and the weight of the chain it closes. The size and shape of the clasp must be balanced on either side of the necklace to hang properly. Be aware, too, that a bracelet or necklace that measures too small can result from ignoring the clasp size when the clasp is attached, as well as when the length is first measured out. When a piece is designed without considering a clasp length and then the clasp is added at the end, the finished bracelet may feel too snug around the wrist, or a necklace could end up too long for the wearer’s neck.
Jump rings are the most basic metal finding, a ring with an open side. They have many purposes including connecting chains and attaching a clasp to a chain. Be careful how you use jump rings. If you pull them wide when trying to connect a chain or find, you may lose their shape, making them look crooked or making the gap too hard to close. Instead, gently twist the sides apart, insert the chain links or find and close the two halves of the ring back together by twisting the ring closed.
Try sorting your simple beginner design into two groups before you start making it: those parts that will decorate it and those that connect the piece together. Beads, pendants, charms and any decorative pieces usually fall in the decorative category. Clasps, connectors, crimps, ear wires and jump rings fall in the construction group. This exercise may give you an awareness of how strong the piece must be to support the design you want it to have. If your bracelet has gorgeous stone beads, it still has to close securely or your friends won’t even have the chance to see how pretty it looks. If you have beautiful drop charms, your earrings still have to look cohesive and sit securely on your earlobes in order to impress.
As you make more bracelets, necklaces and earrings with your own hands, take the time to learn what types and sizes of beads, clasps, wire and findings will work best for the project. Jot down any size you learn to work with successfully. You may also wish to take a few notes on where you made mistakes and why you didn’t like the result. If a necklace is too stiff to drape well, it might be that you used too many crimp beads in the clasp attachment. Was the bracelet too loose because of the gap between jump rings you didn’t twist close enough when adding the final length? Were your earrings too heavy because the wire wasn’t as strong as you needed it to be? If you note these things down, the next time you make a necklace, bracelet or earrings, you will be able to avoid these errors.