Jewelry findings are the small, metallic parts that hold everything in place, and include the hooks and ends that allow the jewelry to be worn.
Gold, silver and pewter are the most popular colors of jewelry findings that can be found. In the one set, all jewelry findings should be the same color so that each metal color is not be mixed together.
Types of jewelry findings
There are many different types of jewelry findings, the most common of which include:
Earring hooks
Can be slightly different shapes, but all have the loop that threads through the ear on one end, and the loop that connects to the jewelry on the other.
Shepherd's hooks are a common variety of earring hooks that get their name from having the shape of staff used by a shepherd to herd sheep.
Head pin
A head pin is a long, thin piece of metal that ends with a round, flat piece of metal at the end. These jewelry findings are used on the ends of earrings and drops from necklaces to hold the beads in place.
The flat piece holds the beads in place, while the top can be made into a loop to hang them in position.
Eye pin
Eye pins are important jewelry findings that connect together to create long strands of beads. Either long or short, these eye pin chains are used as drops in necklaces, earrings or as the lengths of the necklace themselves.
Crimps
These small beads are jewelry findings that are made from thin metal. They are squashed to hold other beads in place on tiger-tail, and are usually purchased in packs of 50 to 100.
Parrot clasp
This clasp is usually very strong and secure, and is used to connect the two ends of a necklace together so it can be worn. Bolt rings can also be used, but they aren't as secure as a parrot clasp.
Necklace Catch
These jewelry findings are small, flat pieces of metal that have two holes. One is for connecting to the clasp, and the other is to attach to the necklace. They can also be called clasp tags.
Jump-rings
These metallic rings have a join, and are used to hold two things together. They can be used instead of a necklace catch, but more commonly used to connect metalwork.
It is best if they are opened with a pair of pliers by pulling one part of the join sideways. They should never be pulled open, or they will lose the shape.
Clam-shell
Clam-shells are jewelry findings that are used to cover tiger-tail ends. This is because tiger-tail can be quite sharp, and irritates the skin if the loose end is allowed to rub against it.
They can also be used to hold together multiple pieces of tiger-tail in necklaces because they can hide a messy join.
Bell caps
They appear to be small bells, and are used when a fringe of beads is used in a beaded design. The cap collects and conceals the fringe that is going to be included, and is held in place by a loop.
What color jewelry findings should I buy?
Having the right jewelry findings that you need to complete a project is essential. It is often helpful to choose gold or silver as your main color, and buy all jewelry findings in that color.
This ensures that you always have the right jewelry findings on hand - nothing is more frustrating than not having the right ones!
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