10 Must-Have Jewelry-Making Tools for Your Bench or Craft Room

Whether you're just getting started in jewelry-making or are a seasoned pro, we believe that it's important to have key tools on your workbench or craft room. This, of course, is not an exhaustive list and not the end all be all, especially depending on what type of jewelry projects you're going to be working on but these are the ten must-have jewelry-making tools whether you're making bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, or more!

If you're just getting started in jewelry making, do not fear, Beaducation offers a large library of educational content for almost every type of jewelry project or task you want to take on. Whether you're looking to get started with metal stamping, beadwork, wire wrapping, or jewelry soldering, the educational content can be found and these are key tools to have in your repertoire for your project.

1. Bench Block- What's a house without a foundation?! That's what your bench block is. Typically made of hardened steel, your bench block is where you'll essentially be doing all of your jewelry work whether you're metal stamping jewelry, shaping metal, or just need a sturdy surface. Your bench block will serve as the foundation for your jewelry-making area. Take a look at our bench blocks.
   
   
2. Jewelry Hammer- Especially important for metal stamping jewelry, a jewelry hammer is a key piece of jewelry-making equipment for your bench. For that, there are specific metal stamping hammers that have either a brass head, a hardened tool steel head, or both, for the perfect impression from your metal stamp into your metal. Jewelry hammers aren't only for metal stamping though, there are many different types of hammers that serve different purposes. For example, a planishing hammer is great for flattening metal, a riveting hammer is great for setting rivets, a texture hammer is great for adding fun textures to your metal, and a chasing hammer is great for flatting and adding slight texture to your metal with its one flat side and another ball-peen side. Take a look at our quality jewelry hammers.
   
   
3. Jewelry Cutter- Another key piece of jewelry equipment for your bench, a jewelry cutter is useful in a variety of jewelry projects whether you're cutting round wire, flat wire, or other metal, having a sharp and strong jewelry cutter is key to making clean cuts. Want to go the extra mile? Get a pair of flush cutters that cut your wire or metal to a flat and flush point that won't leave a burr on your metal. Take a look at our quality jewelry cutters.
   
   
4. Chain Nose Pliers- Depending on the jewelry project, you may need different types of pliers that we offer, but chain nose pliers are a great go-to jewelry tool for you to have. You'll be using this tool quite possibly the most often than any other tool. Whether you're trying to open and close jump rings, connect jewelry findings, or wire wrap you can never go wrong with a high-quality pair of jewelry pliers. Chain nose pliers typically have a box joint construction and are tapered to a point with flat jaws which are a key factor when crimping beads, shaping, or bending. Take a look at our high-quality collection of jewelry pliers.
   
   
5. Metal Hole Punch- Incredibly important for metal stamped pieces, metal hole punches also have uses in other jewelry-making projects. A metal hole punch does pretty much what it says in the name, it punches holes into metal. So if you're looking to make keychains, necklaces, or other jewelry pieces that need holes, the metal hole punch is a great tool to have. Many metal hole punches only come in one size, but our power punch plier is a popular choice as you can change out the size of the hole depending on the piece you're looking to make. Take a look at our metal hole punches.
   
   
6. Ring Mandrel- Looking to make lots of rings for your loved ones or customers? A steel ring mandrel is a must-have jewelry tool to have on your bench. When shaping, forming, or resizing rings, its tapered design makes for the perfect surface to give your ring the perfect fit no matter the ring size of the ring. Not only is a ring mandrel great to have on hand when making rings, but also when trying to remember the size of rings in your own collection you may have forgotten the size of. A ring mandrel is also a great measuring tool for rings. Take a look at our steel ring mandrel here.
   
   
7. Plastic Mallet- A plastic mallet is typically a jewelry tool that's used fairly often when making jewelry projects because of its lightweight that won't damage most metals. Plastic mallets are great for slightly reshaping misshapen pieces or when forming a ring on a ring mandrel. Not only that but using a plastic mallet is a great way to work harden your metal without the use of a heavy hammer or actually damaging the metal. Take a look at our plastic mallet here.
   
   
8. Jewelry Clamp- Whether it's a ring clamp or just a general jewelry clamp, this tool is great to have on hand when you need a "third hand" to hold onto your jewelry piece while you use your other two hands to perform the task you're looking for complete for your jewelry project. Take a look at our jewelry clamp here.
   
   
9. Measuring Tool- Although broad, measuring tools are key when making sure that you're using the right size metal, jump rings, cabochons, or length of wire for the piece you're making. Depending on what you're making, different measuring tools may be needed, but a tried and true tool would be an accurate ruler. You may also want a wire gauge measuring tool when determining the size of the wire you're going to use for wire wrapping. You may want a digital caliper when trying to get accurate readings of the dimensions of cabochons or other additions to your jewelry. If you offer in-person services, you may want to have a ring-size measuring tool or a bracelet measuring tool. Whatever you need, take a look at our measuring tools for jewelry.
   
   
10. Table Vise- A table vise is a great tool to have on your jewelry bench because it makes it easy to hold tightly onto your jewelry pieces or mandrels. If you're looking to cut a piece of metal with a jeweler's saw you will hold the metal tightly with a table vise. Just like the jewelry clamp we mentioned earlier, a table vise can serve as a "third hand" to hold onto your piece while you use your other two hands to do the work on your jewelry project. Take a look at our table vise.

This is just the start of something beautiful, as you work to create stunning jewelry pieces with your collection of jewelry-making tools. Not only that but make sure to take advantage of the educational resources and online jewelry-making classes that Beaducation has to offer. Do you have a must-have jewelry-making tool that we didn't mention in this post? Leave a comment below telling us what you think is a must-have tool to have on your bench or in your craft room.

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