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When you are stringing a beaded piece of jewelry with a beading wire, such as a necklace or bracelet, you often use crimp beads. They will finish the end of your jewelry creation and will also help in making a loop where you are to attach the clasp. You can use them in addition to the bead tip or instead of one, so that the knot is kept inside the bead tip. Crimp beads come in 2 kinds – the tube shaped and the round shaped. The tube shaped beads can either be gold or sterling filled, while the round shaped are made normally of base metals. While jewelry is all about preferences and tastes, the use of tube shaped beads is recommended because working with it is much easier, especially if you are just starting crimping. You need to get a pair of crimping pliers. This tool is specifically designed to secure crimp beads. Avoid using chain nosed or flat nosed pliers in flatting the bead to close it; this is faking and it will not give your creation a polished look. Crimp pliers and crimp beads can be found in most beading and jewelry suppliers. You must first have an understanding of how crimp pliers work before you will learn how to use them. If you will look at the pliers’ nose, you will see that there are grooves inside. When you squeeze the handles you will notice that these grooves line up, creating 2 holes – one is oval and the other too is oval, but with a dip on a side. Now to attach and close the crimp beads to the beading wire, you slip the bead onto the wire end; take the wire end and have it looped back through the bead, leaving a bit of extra wire. Then thread the bead into the second oval hole with the dip; close the pliers on the bead and notice it curl. The next task is to turn the bead in the first oval, to its side position. Close the pliers again to compress the bead into a rounded shape. Once you’re sure the crimp bead is secure, cut off the excess wire, using a sharp pair of wire cutter so that the cut is clean. So now, a loop is created which you can use in holding your clasp. Here are some additional tips. For the last bead or 2 of your necklace, use larger beads where you can thread back through the extra beading wire that was left after cutting the excess. This will prevent the wearer from getting scratched. If you want a larger loop, insert one side of the round nose pliers into the loop as you pull tight the wire. Beginners should start working with the tube shaped crimp beads instead of the round shaped beads. Don’t get frustrated if you can’t perfect your work on at first, second or even the third try. Have you forgotten? Practice makes perfect, and this applies to all jewelry making techniques. Some jewelry artists took years to make perfect creations, and they are still practicing now. Crimp Beads can be purchased online at discount rates. Click on the link for more details.
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