What Is A Toggle And How Is It Important?

While buying jewelry we many times come across words such as toggle clasp, lobster claw clasp, leverback earring finding, etc. However, we might not always understand what the seller is trying to convey. If you are interested in starting a career as a professional jewelry designer you must first seek proper knowledge regarding the subject. One of the most important and fundamental things to know is the terminology used in this field. An aspiring jewelry maker must be familiar with all the tools and accessories required in making a piece of jewelry along with their names.

One of the many essential jewelry findings to know about is a toggle.  Primarily used as a closure tool for ornaments, toggle is a jewelry functional tool that contains a loop and a small stick shaped link. One end of the jewelry is connected to the loop while the other to the stick. The stick and loop get attached to each other in order to close the accessory.  

Toggles are mainly used in necklaces, bracelets and anklets. From simple to fancy, toggle clasps come in a wide variety of designs, sizes and shapes. Where a simple round shaped toggle can add grace and elegance to the jewelry, a bold and funky toggle can make it look trendy, urban and stylish.

Sterling Silver Leverback

Jewelry Wire and Its Use

One of the most significant accessories of any beading or strung project is a wire. Wires can be made from any metal — copper, brass, nickel and silver to gold depending upon the requirement of the jewelry in question. Wires can be used to make necklaces, bracelets, anklets and earrings. Using wires in a project is not as simple a task as it seems to be. Only a professional jewelry maker can use this delicate accessory to make alluring and mesmerizing designs. However, for an amateur a basic level of information on how to use a wire for making simple pieces of jewelry can be appropriate to start with.

Anyone can make simple yet elegant jewelry articles with just wires and some basic tools such as wire cutters, jump rings, pliers, jig, earwires, eyepins, beads, studs, pearls etc. The most important thing to consider before beginning a project is the material of wire and its thickness. These two things can be easily determined by knowing the weight and purpose of the ornament being made.

With the help of above tools and a little guidance from an experienced jewelry maker one can easily learn to use a jewelry wire impeccably.

Interesting Facts about Pearls

Pearls are a symbol of beauty, purity and love. Even a glimpse of these white colored blissful drops of nature can mesmerize anyone easily. However, their origin and existence is as mysterious and intriguing as their appearance. The tiny bright pearls are created by water mollusks popularly known as oysters. It is interesting to note that not all oysters can produce pearls but only the one’s belonging to the family of Pteriidae. Such oysters are also known as feathered oysters.

There are two kinds of pearls namely natural and cultured. Both kinds of pearls have the similar properties and value. However, the only difference between these two varieties is in their formation process. While natural pearls are created naturally without human interference, the cultured pearls are produced in a special environment, which is favorable for pearl formation, created by human beings.

Despite all the similarities natural pearls are more expensive and rare than cultured freshwater pearls because they are unprocessed and formed under natural conditions. Now to talk about their appearance, real and authentic pearls are never perfectly round in shape as claimed by many jewelry retailers. Also, pearls come in many different colors apart from white. Pearls not only add beauty to the appearance of the wearer but are also believed to bring good luck and harmony in personal relationships.

Beauty of Brass Chains

Brass chains have set new fashion trends among people of all ages and cultures. Brass is one of the most favorite choices of all jewelry designers due to its durability and flexibility. Brass, due to its yellow color, was originally used as a cheap substitute for gold. However, now the times have changed and brass is considered to be one of the most fashionable and stylish metals to wear.

Brass chains are very economical. Apart from resembling gold and being capable of molded into various forms brass chains are extremely cost effective. Such chains could be made in various different styles, designs, sizes and shapes depending upon the preferences of the buyers. Moreover, jewelry makers frequently introduce new styles and finishing for these chains such as matt tones, shiny, sparklingly polished, etc. These chains could either be used with a pendant or without one, as desired by the wearer.

Brass chains are known for their vintage look. Gold filled chains made from this metal resemble those made in the olden days using pure gold. Thus, more and more people get attracted towards these beautiful and mesmerizing human creations.

Types of Beads

Beading is a craft that is fast becoming popular. of various kinds, shapes and sizes are used to make artifacts, necklaces, bangles, earrings, pendants and so on. You would be amazed to know that there are beads available in various colors and hues that can be used for all kinds of beading projects and jewelry making. Listed below are the various types of beads that can be used in jewelry making or beading project.

Glass Beads

Glass beads come in vibrant colors and shapes and are very popular among children and adolescents. There are different kinds of glass beads ranging from Czech glass beads to lamp work beads to Millefiori beads to bumpy glass beads.  Do you know that glass beads are one of the oldest types of beads used since time immemorial? Glass beads are used to not only make jewelry but also to decorate serving bowls, vases and in fabrics to add beauty.

Natural Beads

Bone bead is one of the natural bead types that are popular among the youngsters today. The bone beads are carved out of the bones of animals. The most popular bone beads are made from ivory and they are very expensive. Jewelry made from natural beads add natural beauty to the wearer and blend with any outfit. Though originally, they were carved out of the ribs bones of elk. Today, the bone beads are commonly made from the bones of bison and water buffalo.

Wood Beads

Wood beads are used to make charm bracelets that are chic and stylish. This is in vogue among the youngsters. Wood beads are available in various shapes, sizes and hues. The wood beads are usually dyed in natural colors. These beads can be used to make necklaces, earrings and are at times used as buttons in dresses, mostly in ethnic wears.

Gemstone Beads

Another popular type of beads that are used by the jewelers is the gemstone beads. These beads are made from precious and semi-precious gemstones; are available in various shapes and sizes. The gemstone beads are popularly used to make necklaces, bangles, bracelets, earrings and pendants. The gemstone beads are also used as spacer beads by jewelers.

The other commonly used beads include metal beads, stone beads, pearls, and plastic beads.

Beware Before Shopping for Online Sterling Silver Chains

Buying wholesale sterling silver chains can be a tricky process. The increasing popularity of sterling silver chains amongst people has made them an essential part of the jewelry making industry. Today every jewelry designer opts for smart and wise shopping when it comes to buying regular jewelry making supply. The best way to find the desired supply at reasonable cost is to go for wholesale supply. A dealer of wholesale sterling silver chains not only offers great varieties to the customers to choose from, but also provides huge discounts to make the deal cost effective and satisfactory.

Earlier, buyers had to search local markets to find wholesale sterling silver chains or other jewelry making supply. Limited resources led to inconvenience for the buyer to find appropriate material. This gave birth to online wholesale retailing business. These days we see different types of online retailers that sell jewelry making supplies online. The buyers are usually offered great options on shapes, designs, materials and cost. Buying wholesale sterling silver chains could be slightly challenging from an online dealer. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before buying sterling silver chains from a web portal.

Trustworthiness of the seller: This is the first and most important factor one must ensure while buying wholesale sterling silver chains online. There are many retailers who run their business on unlawful and unauthorized grounds. One must always check the reliability and credibility of the jewelry seller before making the purchase. To verify the supplier for his business legitimacy one can ask him to produce his retailer’s license number.

Authenticity of the sterling silver chains: Many a times while selling wholesale sterling silver chains online retailers try to sell unauthentic silver under the name of original sterling silver. One must always read the terms and conditions carefully to understand the after sale policies and reputation of the seller in the market. Also, one must be attentive while reading the sales copy provided by the dealer. Sometimes they tend to play trickery by fooling people customers with words like ‘realistic’ sterling silver chains or ‘silver plated’. Every buyer must make sure to verify the authenticity of the sterling silver chains and the seller before making the purchase.

Quantity Matters: One must keep in mind that many online retailers prefer to sell sterling silver chains in bulk instead of small quantities. Thus, one must have a pre defined quantity in mind to qualify for purchasing wholesale sterling silver chains at alluring prices.

A thorough research on online jewelry websites might be helpful in finding reliable and certified dealers for cheap sterling silver chains. One must keep the above three points in mind in order to strike a healthy deal with the dealer.

Gold Filled Beads

Gold filled beads are coated with 14 karat gold. These beads are very popular among the budding and the seasoned jewelry makers. There are different types of gold filled beads available in the market. Gold filled beads are available in various sizes and shapes and are said to be jewelry maker’s delight.

One of the most common uses of gold filled beads is to be used as spacer beads in necklaces, bracelets and earrings. However, these days gold filled beads are used in designer wears. Gold filled beads are sewed to the end of the stoles, shawls and scarves. They add beauty and elegance to the dress materials. Gold filled beads are mostly used by Indian fashion designers on their ethnic wear collections. Therefore, there is a great demand for these beautiful beads.

Some of the popular types of gold filled beads include the gold filled corrugated beads, gold filled satin sandblast, gold filled fancy beads, gold filled round beads, stardust beads and many more.

Gold filled crimp beads are small and hollow those are mostly used to separate one bead from another. They are also used at the end of a necklace instead of a knot to help secure clasps. Another popular gold filled finding is the gold filled bead caps. These are fancy kind of beads usually in shape of flowers. It adds beauty and elegance to even a simple piece of jewelry. The gold filled bead caps are available in various shapes and sizes and these are usually used by the jewelry makers to prevent the two beads from rubbing against each other.

There are many online stores from where you can purchase your gold filled beads. Before you finalize on your purchases ensure to check out as many jewelry sites as possible. If you are a budding jewelry maker ensure to seek the advice of a seasoned jewelry maker to avoid losses. You can also walk into a physical jewelry shops to get the feel of the gold filled beads.