Pantone Fall 2013 -> Swarovski Color Converter

Are you ready for fall trends? Make sure your jewelry is on point in terms of color selection by picking colors from Pantone's Fall 2013 palette. We have listed the Swarovski crystal and pearl corresponding colors in a handy chart.

Down the chart here.

TierraCast - Swarovski Compatibility

There are tons of different TierraCast Bails and tons of Swarovski Pendants out there! It can be confusing as to which bails fit with which pendants. We have made an easy to understand chart to keep the compatibility straight!

Download the chart here.

Selecting the Right Wire for Wire Wrapping Jewelry

If you a jewelry designer, you know you are short changing yourself if you do not know how to wire wrap. Though it’s easy to learn how to wire wrap, it takes some experience to pick the right wire and tools.

Factors to consider when choosing your wire are:

Material

Thickness (Gauge)

Density

Shape

Once you have decided on the design of your favorite project, the above criteria will determine which wire you should use.

 

Material 

Wire comes in different material: sterling silver, silver filled, 14Kt. Gold, 14Kt. Gold-filled, Rose Gold-filled, and German Style Wire by Beadalon. If you are making jewelry where the metal used is Sterling it’s best to go with Sterling Silver wire.  If the main components are Gold-Filled, then you want Gold-Filled wire.  If you are mainly dealing with Gemstone beads and need a silver tone wire, but don’t want the plating to wear off, its best to use Silver-Filled wire, which is substantially cheaper than Sterling Silver but still holds pretty good.  For jewelry that is gold tone it’s still best to use Gold-Filled wire because it will hold its color very well.  The material you use will determine the cost of the jewelry since gold wire and silver wire are not cheap.

If you are a beginner we suggest you use German Style Wire, which is inexpensive.  Since it takes a while to get the hang of wire wrapping there might be wastage as you perfect the technique. German Style Wire comes in many finishes.

 

Thickness (Gauge)

The rule is the thicker the wire, the lower the gauge. The thickness of the wire comes into play when we weigh in the weight of the other materials (no pun intended).  If the beads, chain or other components are heavy, use the thickest (lowest gauge) wire so that it can support the weight.  The size of the loop or hole of the bead is important too. The wire should freely move through the wire or hole to give the jewelry fluidity.

 

Density

Wire also comes as soft or half hard.  If the wire is thick you want to use soft wire, as it’s easier to bend.  For thinner wire, use half hard as it holds its shape better.

 

Shape

Wire comes round, half round and square.  Depending on its application choose the right shape.  Round wire is the most versatile and popular wire.

The same parameters will hold true for head pins and eye pins.

Basic tools for all wire wrapping are:

Round Nose Pliers

Chain nose Pliers

Flush cutter

Must-haves for your tool kit!

Whether you are thinking about designing or you have already started, make sure you have these 5 tools in your tool belt to make all of your design dreams into realities!

1. Chain Nose Plier

What you use it for: Closing jumprings, holding stringing wire, pulling strings, making loops, wire wrapping and much more! These can do just about anything.


2. Round Nose Plier

What you use it for: Creating loops or curves for wire wrapping and shaping wire in a round shape.

3. Flush Cutter

What you use it for: Cutting wire without making the new edges jagged, making jumprings, and making chain from rings.

4. Crimping Plier

What you use it for: Finishing crimps (which you use to close wires so you can attach things to them)

This has two notches. The first notch (at the end) will let you turn crimps into the shape of a figure-8 by creating an indent in the middle. The second notch (in the middle) will let you fold the crimp or turn it into a tube.

Also, make sure you don't use too much force when using this otherwise it will make the crimp you are working with brittle.

5. Bead Stopper

What you use it for: Saving your projects in progress, keeping your beads from fall off of the edge of a strand,  keeping your sanity as you work on long projects

To use it, simply squeeze the ears together and slip your thread or wire in between the rings, and voila! You can also use it when working with multiple strand designs and to seal small packages. Plus, they're reusable!

For cute ways to store your newest jewelry tools, look at "Dream Design Spaces" board on pinterest here.

We hope you enjoyed this guide! Feel free to comment if you have any more questions!