Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

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    Monday-Saturday 9.30am - 4pm
   Shop 3, 284-290 Rocky Point Rd
   Ramsgate 2217
   (entry via Dillon Street)
   ** Dillion Street is now ONE WAY towards Rocky Point Rd**

   02 9529 9982






Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks when making Jewellery

Designing
•    Colours and shapes that look good together in the palm of your hand will always be able to be made into a stylish jewellery design.
•    Good quality jewellery wire and finishing products can sometimes be more important than the beads; a piece that sits well will always look better than a piece that doesn't.
•    Compliment your jewellery design with a clasp that matches the shape of the bead for example; oval clasp with oval beads.
•    If making a random jewellery design with lots of different beads, sometimes a bead board can be a waste of time. If it looks good as you thread it up, it will be great (check the design approx every 4cm if not confident).
•    If you wish to design a jewellery item for a specific outfit always have the outfit with you; your bead shop should be able to help you with bead and colour choices.
•    A good bead shop should always be able to recommend a cheaper alternative bead to use in your jewellery design (do not compromise on focal beads).
•    If design is not your strong point, copy jewellery designs from your bead shop display, or draw jewellery designs when you see them in magazines, TV or movies.



Tools
•    Keep all your tools together in a handy tool box.
•    A good set of cutters can be your most important tool
•    Bead mats are a great idea to stop beads sliding off your working surface.

Techniques
•    Bead mats are a great idea to stop beads sliding off your working surface.
•    Use a bust when making a complicated necklace; it will be much easier to get it to sit right.
•    Check your length before finishing jewellery designs; it can be expensive to re-thread.
•    Always remove open jump rings (where possible), and use permanent connectors (such as jumplocks or wire wrapped loop technique) to make your design more secure.

Sterling Silver or Gold Scraps
•    Save all sterling silver or gold scraps as they can be melted down by a jeweller to create your own unique piece or sold to a metal merchant.

Left Over Stock
•    Leave beads in packets or store in storage containers with price paid per bead and stockist code; it will make it easier to re-supply and if you are selling, makes pricing easier (pricing individual beads before cutting the strand will make it easier to calculate).
•    Rather than throwing out damaged beads, they can still be used at the back of a jewellery design, or by concealing damage with a bead cap.