Beads and Findings

If you’re new to crafting and jewelry-making, you might have been thinking of what “metal beads and findings” mean and why you’d want to use these items in your project.

The word “jewelry findings” refers to items that are not beads, gemstones, or stringing supplies that are critical for completing jewelry projects. Instead, findings refer to the little bobs and bits that make it possible for you to put jewelry together. Common examples of findings are head and eye pins, connectors, jump rings, clasps, and bails.

Metal findings come in a variety of metal finishes. Xinar offers sterling silver, gold-filled, rose gold, and fine copper.

Our beads and findings represent the best in the market, and you can be assured that you are getting not just durability but also a classic, timeless appeal in all your designs. In the past, jewelers had to produce every jewelry piece by hand. In those days, jewelers would construct findings out of scrap metal, and these scraps of metal eventually became known as findings. Thankfully, you can now buy findings just as you need them, saving you a lot of time!

There are plenty more beads and findings here at Xinar – be sure to browse our extensive categories.

An earwire is a looped wire bow that is used to secure an earring to a pierced ear. It’s usually constructed of gold or hypoallergenic surgical steel. Although earwires are commercially available as jewelry findings, some jewelers still build their own. Like other types of jewelry findings, you can work with different types of earwires, including ones made of gold-filled, fine copper, rose gold, and sterling silver.

Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other accessories are made with head, eye pins, and beads.

First, put a few beads onto a headpin, then construct a loop using a pair of cutters and pliers to link everything to another component, such as an earwire. The round end of a head pin functions as a stopper to keep your beads from flying off.

Bails are designed to be attached to a pendant or gemstone. A bail is one of the simplest ways to a charm or pendant to a chain. Bails do not require any soldering or metalsmithing skills. The bail is usually placed in the middle of the necklace, where the charm will be hung.

Bead caps are used to improve the style of beads and can be applied on one or both ends of the bead. Bead caps can be added to dangles or utilized to highlight larger beads in your creations. In addition, they nestle perfectly with other beads to draw attention to specific sections of the bracelet edit.

Bead cap findings come in helpful when it comes to dressing up your beads. By attaching bead caps, you enhance the creation with a decorative add-on. You can also hide faults in your beads with bead caps. Also, by simply attaching bead caps to a basic bead, you can instantly transform it into a focal element for your pendant.

Chain tabs, wire protectors, crimp covers, and crimp beads are some of the remarkable findings you’ll encounter as you work on your designs. To keep your other beads in place, squish some crimp beads down the jewelry wire. You can then use crimp covers to conceal the crimp beads. Finally, wire protectors offer additional strength to stringing supplies.

Every jewelry-making kit deserves a heap of gold-filled beads and findings – but what exactly does this term mean?

Gold-filled materials are a great alternative to actual gold since they have the same blushing pink or warm yellow tones as solid gold but at a fraction of the price. Gold-filled jewelry is often more durable and holds its value better than plain, gold-plated jewelry. When you choose to use gold-filled findings and metals in your jewelry, you will reap all the benefits later. Gold-filled beads and findings are beautiful, cost-effective, and deserving of your workbench.

Just a reminder – gold-filled metals aren’t filled with gold. “Gold-filled” is a word that has been used in the jewelry industry for a long time. The Federal Trade Commission now regulates gold-filled as a quality designation (FTC).

Essentially, a thin layer of gold is heated and then pressure-bonded to a base metal (usually brass). Gold-filled things have a higher value than gold-plated items because gold-filled items have an actual coating of pure gold and not just an electroplated film, as gold-plated items do. The gold layer also considerably improves the base metal’s resistance to tarnishing.