Making jewelry
Q.Is there anyone that makes their own jewelry? We have a girl I work with that makes necklaces, bracelets - I was thinking about trying this out myself but was wondering what equipment you need to hook the end "clasps" on. Can anyone give me any help?
A.Some equipment you will need off the top of my head (but it really depends which area you want to develop) are: -pincers -loom (buy a good quality one, saw an amazing one in e-bay that went for peanuts) -tiger tail -pliers, two are better than one as you will discovere, and must be round tipped, although a flat one will come of use for grip -metal cutters -brass and silver wire -beading threads -beading needles -various finding -beads ...yes beading can only be inspired if you have a huge selection around you, it's not textile, it's a different medium and you absolutely need inspiration and the only way to recompese the time I have taken to answer your post is that you promise never to buy plastic beads! I beg you. -US has some of the greatest beading shops ion the world but Australia has one of the greatest semi-precious beading distributors in the world, expensive but well worth it. If you are going to buy some beads I suggest you buy good quality ones from the word go becasue unlike make-up and clothes, you can always cut the piece it and restart - they never waste. My faves are: -Lapis lazuli -Carneolia -Ambers (most ambers though I find to be very low quality) -Ambroids, cheap and sophisticated if you know how to use them -Pure silvers (very difficult to find as most silver today a sterling - bleah) -Mexican silvers which can be adorable and primitive looking -Some wooden hand carved beads are stupendous but they cost hundreds of dollars EACH -If you really want some real "vintage" try Egyptian beads (real period Egyptian), they are cute, plentiful, authentic and reasonably priced -Rocaille pearls -Some Ventian beads can be astonoshing, but great beads are simply not produced anymore by them becasue they're labour intensive and low montary yielding. Venice, now mostly produces ugly millefluer stuff (a dime a dozen), the real vetian beads are almost extinct, actually, Venice is one big hoax and I'm not just referring to bead, almost everything they make otday is worthless and they prey upon the wealthy ignorant. You may alos like Venetian period trade beads, I don't though. -Bone depends on the period but today's is mostly crap -Jade hmmmmmmm, expensive but so beautiful -Clay, I have a bag full of Greek clay beads that have been enamled -Porcelain, if you're lucky enough to find them that is -"crystal" - the word crystal refers to clear lead glass only but everyone misuses it for quick reference, I do too. I find lead coloured glasses lovely, the Austrians mostly produce them are almost reasonably priced, a few of these to a necklace can add a wonderful zest. -Coral has become incredibly expensive, but some pieces with lush hand carvings are gorgeous -Ivory, same as coral. -mother-of-pearl -Glass rocailles are a good option when learning to loom -Brass, copper and bronze are beads that I adore but the latter two are extremely difficult to find
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