Top 5 Tools Every Jewellery Maker Needs

You do not need a full workshop to start making silver jewellery. A small set of good-quality hand tools will let you cut, shape, join and finish most beginner and intermediate pieces. Below are the five tool groups every jewellery maker should own first, what each one is used for, and what to look for when buying.

1. Jewellery pliers

Pliers are the tools you will pick up most often. A basic set has three types:

• Chain-nose pliers have flat inner jaws that taper to a point. Use them to grip wire, open and close jump rings and make sharp bends.
• Round-nose pliers have conical jaws. Use them to form loops, curls and even-sized circles in wire.
• Flat-nose pliers have wide, flat jaws for holding sheet and straightening wire.

Buying tip: choose pliers with smooth (not serrated) jaws so they do not mark silver, and with jaws that close evenly along their full length. Add a pair of flush cutters for cutting wire cleanly.

2. Saw frame and blades

A jeweller's saw frame holds a very fine blade under tension and lets you cut sheet, tube and thick wire precisely, including internal shapes. Blades come in numbered sizes; finer blades suit thin sheet and detailed work, coarser blades cut thicker metal faster. Blades break often while you learn, so buy them in bundles. A bench pin (a wooden wedge clamped to your table) supports the metal while you saw.

3. Files and abrasives

Every cut edge needs finishing. A set of needle files in different shapes (flat, half-round, round, triangular and square) lets you reach curves, corners and the inside of rings. After filing, sand with emery paper or sanding sticks, moving from coarse to fine grades so each step removes the scratches of the one before. Careful filing is what separates a professional-looking piece from a homemade one.

4. Soldering kit

Soldering lets you make strong, permanent joints for rings, chains and settings. A starter soldering kit includes:

• a torch suitable for jewellery work (a small butane torch is common for beginners);
• a heat-proof soldering block or board;
• silver solder in at least two grades (for example hard and easy);
• flux, which keeps the joint clean so solder can flow;
• tweezers (including cross-locking tweezers) to hold parts in place;
• a pickle solution and a non-metal container to clean pieces after heating;
• copper or plastic tongs to remove pieces from pickle.

Always solder in a ventilated space on a heat-proof surface, and keep water nearby.

5. Mandrels and mallets

A ring mandrel is a tapered steel rod marked with ring sizes. You shape ring bands around it and use it to check the final size. A bracelet mandrel does the same for bangles and cuffs. Pair them with a rawhide, wooden or nylon mallet, which shapes metal without leaving marks. A small steel bench block and a chasing or ball-pein hammer are useful next additions for texturing and flattening.

Bonus: polishing tools

Finishing is the last step and the one customers notice first. You can polish by hand with polishing cloths and compounds, use a small rotary tool with polishing wheels, or, as you grow, a bench polishing motor. Read our guide on how to polish silver like a pro for the full process.

How to build your kit sensibly

• Start with pliers, cutters, a saw frame, files and emery paper. You can make wire and cold-connected pieces with just these.
• Add the soldering kit when you are ready to make rings and closed links.
• Buy fewer, better tools rather than a large cheap set; poorly made pliers and files damage metal and slow you down.
• Keep tools clean and dry to prevent rust, and store files separately so their teeth stay sharp.

Learn to use each tool properly

Owning tools is only half the job; using them with correct technique matters more. RPJ Making's video courses show each tool in use on real silver pieces, in Hindi. New to the craft? Start with our beginner's guide to silver jewellery making.