Product Knowledge: Jewelry Guide Certification

Jewelry product guide

We’re here for the makers. Our Team Members are our greatest assets. You bring the Michaels experience to life for our makers – that’s a big responsibility! At Michaels we are a community open to all who want to make, and your role is to make it a great experience every time. This guide outlines the basics of what you need to know when helping Makers with their projects. Click on any of the key topics below to learn more about the that topic. When done, click on the in the bottom right corner to return to this main menu. Introduction: Techniques Jewelry 101 Index Toolbox Jewelry Findings Terms Index

introduction: jewelry 101 a brief history… your role… • Humans have been adorning • Be knowledgeable about where themselves with jewelry for the products are in your store. thousands of years. In fact, jewelry is one of the oldest types • Guide your Customers to the of archaeological artifacts, with exact product they are looking 100,000-year-old beads made for. from shells thought to be the oldest known jewelry. • Help every Customer using the Art of Service. • Since then, this craft has endured. These accessories help to showcase personal style. • There’s something much more satisfying in creating your own jewelry designs. Hand-made, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces forge style and sentiment into a single, unique DIY accessory that has a story to tell. resources: • Art of Service • Store Map

toolbox Opposable thumbs are great for simple projects, but they don’t cut it when hundreds of tiny parts must be threaded together. Plus, fingers are only so strong. Making jewelry should be fun, not painful. Enter tools. In jewelry crafts, tools are used in several applications for holding and manipulating materials, including tasks such as bending, folding, cutting, attaching and finishing. Click on the topics below to view more product: beading accessories cutters metal stamping pliers stringing supplies

beading accessories bead spinner beading needles • Bead spinners make stringing • Made from special, seed beads or other small beads high-tensile steel quick and easy! Fill the bowl wire, Beadalon’s about half-full of beads, and then beading needles spin bead onto a curved are high-quality stringing needle. and versatile. • Each needle is carefully sharpened for precise use, making bead stringing and threading a breeze. curved beading needles bead board • The curved • Here is a jewelry- beading needle making necessity! makes threading This bead board lets easy. The eye of you design multi- the needle spans strand necklaces most of its length and bracelets. and retains its shape. • Lay out designs, so you can easily see • Accommodates all what you are sizes of bead cord. creating. Plus, the Designed measurements specifically for use along the edges with bead spinners make it easy for you - seed beads just to create jewelry to jump onto the the exact length curved needle like you seek. magic!

cutters wire cutters memory wire cutters • Wire cutters are a must-have tool • For memory wire, you'll need for a jewelry makers kit. They memory wire cutters in lieu of allow you to cut headpins, eye regular wire cutters. Using pins, and stringing wire. regular cutters for this type of wire will dent your cutting edge, making it useless.

metal stamping steel block metal stamping hammer • Solid carbon steel provides a • The one-pound head provides durable surface to make clear optimal weight for deep impressions on. impressions. Short handle design features multiple holding options • Rubber feet ensures a non-slip for maximum control and comfort. surface when striking. The replaceable brass head provides a soft striking surface eliminating double impressions. multi-function hammer chasing hammer head • Dap, flatten, chase, and hand • Use for forging and flattening stamp with interchangeable wire. heads or add texture with ImpressArt 6mm stamps. • For use with the ImpressArt Multi-Function Hammer.

metal stamping ball pein hammer head nylon hammer head • Use for metal design or • Use for flattening or forming texturing. Also known as a ball- metals without marring or peen hammer head. scratching. • For use with the ImpressArt • For use with the ImpressArt Multi-Function Hammer. Multi-Function Hammer. brass hammer head • Use for light stamping and dapping. • For use with the ImpressArt Multi-Function Hammer.

pliers flat nose pliers round nose pliers • Designed for making sharp • The round edges are perfect for bends and right angles in artistic creating simple loops and other wire and other soft wire. rounded wire elements. • Flat Nose Pliers can also grip flat • The jaws taper towards the point, objects and work well for which allows you to position your straightening bent wire. wire along the jaw to get the exact size loop you want. chain nose pliers bent chain nose pliers • Chain Nose Pliers are great for • As versatile as Chain Nose Pliers, closing jump rings and crimping use Bent Chain Nose Pliers in a in tight places. variety of jewelry making tasks. • Tapered tips, smooth jaws, and • Use for forming wire, wire slightly rounded edges allow wrapping, opening and closing accurate crimping, shaping, and Jump Rings, grasping small bending. A good tool for use components. with wire wrapping.

pliers crimping pliers nylon pliers • The crimping tool, or crimping • Nylon jaws protect surface pliers, has special notches in the finish of wire and other jaws used to slightly flatten and materials. round a crimp bead or tubes onto the wire. • Use one notch to crimp, and then use a larger notch near the end of the pliers to shape the bead into a round. You can also use this tool to secure a clasp at the end of a project.

stringing supplies silk bead thread elastic bead cord • Sthilaktthharesabdefeonrajerowuenlrdyfiosracmenattuerriieasl. • SfparntraroyyedtloaucvtcheetMxri,stariagmavyiceao.iinlsIat,bsodolreolieedinlsaaCsnntoldiecta.wcrToiohlnlrinstBaoiltnack. • KldSDpdotrlieetasoaiescsopriptoegneilcn.hounsabrnaanuamttdgusiaoesrodandcrlelflpyercoooaoanmnrnnt1tdiw0oabnhi0lonoe%doeonyrfkSutSoeiosliikllliekasntgvgihonaorrsneiditlak.d. • skTenocofutinraeisn.hd odfafba wdeitshigSnp,etcieiaal TsqGulaureeto • pbIsdtteorriosaeejdstercescnhctao.otrtThmeshetpmirscleaeowtcnrcieddlhldebeadonennsftdohuiraltree.etnbytghoeteguhiecnpnonrreiadn-fgtear memory wire satin cording/rattail • Memory Wire is one of the • Rattail cord is a easiest stringing materials to wonderful material use. Because of its hard temper, for making jewelry it holds its shape, The steel wire and for use in is made into coils and sized for various crafts. rings, bracelets, and necklaces. • Use it for creating Kumihimo braid style friendship bands and belts. • Can also be used for Chinese knotting, paper crafts and mixed media projects.

jewelry findings Jewelry Findings is a term used to describe the components which go into the making of jewelry, and includes items such as clasps, earrings, crimps, spacers, and metal beads. In jewelry crafts, findings are used in several applications from joining pieces together, finishing off pieces with the perfect clasp, or creating space and texture in a design. barrel clasp crimp covers • When customers • Close these are looking for a hollow metal secure clasp for findings around their handmade crimps to make necklaces, them look like bracelets and beads. The crimp anklets, barrel covers class up clasps are the your jewelry way to go! designs and prevent your • The two metal necklace or barrel ends bracelet from screw into one snagging onto another for a fabrics. secure and stylish hold.

jewelry findings cording closures earring posts • With a variety • Earring of finishes, findings are these tube important to caps fit the a finished end of your design fabric or because they leather cords. determine how the earring will hang. Flat earring posts provide a secure base for beautiful earrings. eye pins fishhook earwires • Eye pins are • Earwires are the ideal base for designed with DIY dangling earrings. They can a loop at one also be used to replace existing end. String earrings' broken earwires. your beads and loop the other end to close.This allows the bead to act as a connector to the other elements in the piece.

jewelry findings jump rings spring ring clasp • Jump rings • These circular connect clasps are different ideal for elements of attaching to your necklaces, design. bracelets, watchbands, • A slight cut anklets and in the ring wristbands. allows it to They are easy open and to attach to close easily. stringing thread or wire, and are easy to operate. toggle clasp • Use these versatile closures to secure beaded bracelets as well as necklaces. • Easy to use!

techniques Jewelry making involves several different techniques. Many are focused around how to use the tools associated with the project and some are basics like how to tie off beading string or using crimp beads that will be used throughout all future projects. Click on the topics below to view more product: traditional metal stamping

traditional techniques attaching jump rings bead stringing wire wrapping

metal stamping techniques introduction to metal adding texture stamping bracelet bending dapping

metal stamping techniques stamp enamel stamping in a straight line stamping on a hole punching bracelet

metal stamping techniques stamping on a curve using large stamps using the simple strike jig

terms index Bead Board Clasp A bead board is a plastic molded board covered in flock, and it is used to lay out A clasp is a finding which enables the jewelry while it is in the making process. wearer to put on and take off their jewelry There are individual compartments which easily. There are many types of clasps allow the maker to set out all the including lobster clasps, magnetic clasps, necessary beads and findings, and there toggle clasps and barrel locks. Which clasp are measurements around the edge so you use depends on personal preference, that beads can be equally spaced as you as they all essentially do the same job. go. Craft Wire Bead Cap A bead cap is a metal finding which is Craft wire is a bendable wire which comes used to cover the top and/or bottom of a in varying thicknesses and colors and is bead. used for making jewelry where the wire needs to hold a specific shape. The Bead Mat thickness of the wire is referred to in A bead mat is a soft, felt like mat which gauges, and the higher the gauge, the stops your beads from rolling about while thinner the wire. 28 gauge wire is you are jewelry making. commonly used for knitting or crocheting jewelry. Bugle Beads Bugle beads are long skinny beads, usually Crimp or Crimp Bead no more than 2mm wide and up to about 7mm long. A crimp bead is a tiny bead made from soft metal, which is used to hold other beads and findings in place. To ‘crimp’ means to squash a crimp bead in place using a pair of crimping pliers. Other types of crimps called Charlotte Crimps or Clam Crimps which look like a clam shell with a loop at the top. These are used to crimp cord or several strands of wire together and attach it to a clasp.

terms index Crimping Pliers Head Pin Crimping pliers are pliers used to squash A head pin is a finding (see above) which crimps in place. In the absence of crimping looks like an everyday pin, but it is made pliers, long nosed or flat nosed pliers can of heavier metal. also be used. ID and OD End Bar Many jewelry making instructions will refer This bar is a type of clasp which is used to an ID or OD. ID stands for ‘inside for multi strand necklaces or bracelets. It is diameter’, and you guessed it, OD stands simply a decorative bar, with several loops for ‘outside diameter’. which wires can be attached to. The two bars (one on each end of the necklace) Jig clasp together. A jig is a pattern board where you can place pins at desired points, and then wind Eye Pin wire around the pins to form specific An eye pin is a finding which looks like a shapes and patterns. long pin, with a loop at one end. Jump Ring Findings A jump ring is a finding which as the name Findings is a general term which is used to suggests, is simply a metal ring. The describe all the bits and pieces used to opening is not soldered shut, so it can be construct a piece of jewelry. Things like used to attach components together. clasps, rings and pins are all referred to as findings. Floating Floating is the term used to describe a style of jewelry where the beads appear to be floating on the wire. The beads are held in place using crimp beads or jewelry glue.

terms index Long Nosed Pliers Spacer Long nosed pliers are, as the name A spacer is a type of bead (usually metal) suggest, pliers with a long nose. They are which is used to simply put spaces commonly used for holding things in between the beads in your project. They place, and in the absence of crimping are in themselves decorative, but they are pliers are also used for crimping. not designed to be the feature of your jewelry project. Memory Wire Memory wire is wire that has been Split Ring hardened into circles to use either as A split ring is a finding that looks like the necklaces or bracelets. Makers can stretch ring you find on traditional styled keyrings. the wire out to thread on beads, but then it simply springs back into shape. Memory Tiger Tail Wire wire is bought in coils, which can be cut Tiger Tail is the most common form of wire using wire cutters. for threading and making basic jewelry projects. It is made up with several strands Round Nose Pliers of very fine wire which is twisted together, Round nosed pliers are, as the name and then coated in nylon or plastic. suggests, pliers with a round nose. They are used for making loops in wire and Wire Knitting and Crocheting findings. Quite simply, wire knitting and crocheting is just like ordinary knitting and crocheting, Seed Beads only it is done with craft wire. Seed beads are tiny beads which as the name suggests, look like tiny seeds. Varieties include Czech, Toho, and Miyuki.