TL; DR:
This blog is written for jewellers, goldsmiths, jewellery manufacturers, jewellery repairers, workshop owners, and jewellery students who want to understand the names and uses of essential jewellery-making tools for cutting, shaping, soldering, stone setting, polishing, measuring, and repair.
- Covers 70 Essential Jewellery Tools: The guide provides a comprehensive list of jewellery-making tools, including bench pins, jeweller’s saws, pliers, hammers, files, rotary tools, soldering equipment, stone-setting tools, measuring equipment, and polishing tools.
- Tools Are Selected Based on the Jewellery-Making Process: Different workshops require different tools depending on their work, materials, production volume, and specialization. The guide recommends mapping the workflow from design and material preparation to cutting, soldering, stone setting, finishing, inspection, and dispatch before purchasing tools.
- Specialized Tools Improve Precision and Efficiency: Jewellery-making tools serve specific purposes, from holding and shaping metal to creating precise cuts, setting gemstones, soldering components, measuring dimensions, and achieving the desired finish. The appropriate tools depend on the technique, metal, gemstone, and type of jewellery being produced.
- Growing Workshops Also Need Digital Management: Physical tools help artisans create and repair jewellery, but growing manufacturers also need to manage raw materials, stones, work-in-progress, job work, finished jewellery, and customer orders. The blog explains how a jewellery ERP such as Karat ERP can integrate manufacturing, inventory, production, purchasing, sales, and related processes, with features including stone inventory, job work, barcode/RFID support, MIS reporting, and real-time stock tracking.
Introduction
To create jewellery, this precision is necessary in almost every step of the process. Each of the procedures from cutting and shaping precious metals to soldering, stone setting, polishing and the final inspection relies on the right tool. If jewellers, goldsmiths, jewel manufacturing and jewellery repairers as well as jewellery students understand the names and uses of jewellery tools, they can make better selections of equipment to use.
The jewellery workshop may have basic hand tools like pliers, files, saw, hammer and special tools like flex shafts, rotary burs, stone-setting tools, polishing machines, measuring tools, etc. The tools needed are ultimately dependent on the kind of jewellery being made and the processes used in the workshop.
In this guide, we’ve included over 50 of the most popular tools used in jewellery making, sorted by function.
What Are Jewellery Making Tools?
Jewellery making tools are specific hand tools, powered tools and accessories for the jewellery workshop to cut, hold, shape, join, engrave, set, polish, measure and examine jewellery.
Pliers, a jeweller’s saw, files, a flexible shaft, burs and finishing tools can all be a part of a basic goldsmith’s bench. Additional equipment is added to more specialised workshops depending on the productions they need.
It is particularly helpful when installing a new jewellery workshop, or optimising an existing production.
1. Jewellery Bench and Holding Tools
Small jewellery pieces are securely held in place by workholding tools during the jeweller’s precise work.
1. Bench Pin
A bench pin is a device that gives a firm support to the metal when sawing, filing, cutting and shaping small pieces of metal.
2. Jeweller’s Anvil
Use a jeweller’s anvil to hammer, flatten and shape metal.
3. Bench Block
A bench block is a plate of metal that is used to hammer, flatten and texture jewellery parts.
4. Ring Clamp
Rings are securely held in place during stone setting, engraving, polishing and repair in a ring clamp.
5. Jeweller’s Vise
The jeweller uses a small vise to securely hold jewellery components so that he or she can conduct detailed work.
6. Third Hand
A third hand is a tool used to secure small parts in place, usually in soldering applications.
7. Pin Vise
A pin vise is a small device that fits into the mechanism to hold a small drill bit and other such tools and helps to control the drilling process when using them manually.
8. Ring Mandrel
Ring mandrel used to form rings and measurement or adjustment of ring size.
9. Bracelet Mandrel
The bracelet mandrel is used to form bangles and bracelets into the desired form.
2. Cutting and Piercing Tools
Jewellers use cutting tools for accurate separation, trimming or piercing of metal.
10. Jeweller’s Saw
A jeweler’s saw is a saw that has a thin blade and is used to cut sheet metal, wire and intricate patterns.
11. Saw Blades
Jeweller’s saw blades come in a various size and set of teeth, depending on the thickness of the metal and the amount of cuts that need to be made.
12. Flush Cutters
Flush cutters cut close to the jewellery surface, and are especially useful for clean wirework.
13. Side Cutters
Side cutters can be used to cut wire and small metal items.
14. Metal Shears
Thin sheets and strips of jewellery metal are cut using metal shears.
15. Snips
Snips are small cutting tools for thin metal and other workshop material.
16. Disc Cutter
A disc cutter cuts out round pieces from a flat sheet of metal.
17. Hole Punch
Hole punch is used to punch suitable sheet- metal parts.
18. Drill Bits
Drill bits are used to make or enlarge holes needed during assembly, fabrication and other jewellery processes.
3. Pliers and Gripping Tools
One of the most commonly used tools in a jewellery shop is pliers. The different jaw shapes enable jewellers to hold, bend, straighten and place small parts in various positions.
19. Round-Nose Pliers
Loops, curves and rounded bends are made in wire with round nose pliers.
20. Flat-Nose Pliers
Flat nose pliers have a wide holding surface for bending, flattening and holding parts.
21. Chain-Nose Pliers
Chain nose pliers are a type of plier with thin blades, which is suitable for handling small parts and limited spaces.
22. Bent-Nose Pliers
Bent nose pliers are more useful for difficult angles.
23. Half-Round Pliers
Half round pliers have both curved and flat jaws for special use cases in forming and bending.
24. Parallel Pliers
Parallel pliers are pliers whose closing jaws are parallel.
25. Nylon-Jaw Pliers
Nylon-jaw pliers bend and straighten metal, and minimize the risk of surface marks.
26. Locking Pliers
Locking pliers can make a secure hold on parts when a tight grip is needed.
27. Tweezers
Jewellery tweezers are used to pick up, position and hold very small parts, and gem stones.
4. Hammers and Metal-Shaping Tools
Jewellery metals are worked to create shape, texture, flatten and form with a hammer and/or forming tools.
28. Chasing Hammer
Controlled forming, chasing and texturing of metal is accomplished with a chasing hammer.
29. Ball-Peen Hammer
A ball-peen hammer can be used for forming, riveting and texturing metal.
30. Cross-Peen Hammer
A cross-peen hammer is used to form lines and shapes in metal operations.
31. Rawhide Mallet
A rawhide mallet is used to shape metal, and also to minimize the risk of creating strong hammer marks.
32. Dead-Blow Mallet
A dead-blow mallet offers controlled impact and minimal recoil.
33. Dapping Block
A dapping block is a block with various sized depressions that are used for dapping sheet metal.
34. Dapping Punches
Metal is formed into a round shape by using a dapping block and punches.
35. Rolling Mill
A rolling mill is used to thin down the thickness of metal and it may also be used to produce a controlled texture and pattern.
36. Drawplate
A drawplate is a device that will draw and form wire through progressively smaller openings.
5. Files, Burs and Rotary Tools
Filing and rotary tools are used to remove excess metal, refine edges and prepare surfaces for the following processes.
37. Needle Files
Needle files are small files for detailed work and hard-to-reach area.
38. Flat File
A flat file is used to smooth, level and shape flat metal surfaces.
39. Half-Round File
A ½ round or half round file is a file with both flat and curved surfaces.
40. Round File
A round file is used to widen holes and smooth out curved or interior surfaces.
41. Barrette File
A barrette file can be used for controlled filing around edges and detailed jewellery areas.
42. Rotary Burs
Rotary burs are used to remove material, shape metal and prepare jewellery parts for subsequent working.
43. Cup Burs
The ends and prongs of wires and tools are often formed and smoothed using cup burs.
44. Flexible Shaft
A flexible shaft is used for providing rotary power to burs, drills, polishing attachments and other attachments.
45. Micromotor
A micromotor can be used for precision grinding, drilling, finishing and other detailed operations and can be controlled by the rotary motion.
Basic tools that are commonly recommended for goldsmithing and jewellery making include flexible shafts, burs, files and finishing tools.
6. Soldering and Joining Tools
Appropriate jewellery parts are soldered together. It’s important to have a controlled setup since jewellery items are small and the metals are precious and may be sensitive to heat.
46. Jewellery Torch
A metalworking torch is used to provide heat for soldering and other appropriate metal work tasks.
47. Soldering Pick
A soldering pick is used to hold solder and to handle small parts during soldering.
48. Flux Brush
Using a flux brush to apply flux to the area to be soldered.
49. Soldering Board
A soldering board is a heat resistant surface for jewellery soldering use.
50. Charcoal Block
In some soldering applications, jewellery parts can be placed on a charcoal block.
51. Soldering Tweezers
Soldering tweezers are used to pick up and hold small parts when soldering.
52. Pickle Pot
A pickle pot is a pot for use to pickle a solution that is used to clean up oxidation and residues after soldering.
While soldering, high temperatures and potentially hazardous materials are used, workshop operators should follow the instructions of the equipment manufacturers and proper safety practices.
7. Stone-Setting Tools
The process of stone setting necessitates special tools as gemstones need to be set firmly and the surrounding metal needs to be manipulated with great care.
53. Prong Pusher
A prong pusher is used to push and position prongs around a gemstone.
54. Bezel Pusher
A bezel pusher is used to push bezel metal around a gemstone.
55. Bezel Roller
A bezel roller is used to roll or press bezel edges around a stone.
56. Burnisher
A burnisher is a tool used to smooth and refine metal surfaces; it is used in some stone-setting work.
57. Setting Burs
Setting burs are used to set up seats and spaces for gems.
58. Graver
A graver is a cutting tool that is used for engraving and some special stone-setting applications.
59. Setting Tweezers
Setting tweezers offer exact positioning for small gemstones.
60. Jeweller’s Loupe
A jeweller’s loupe is a magnification lens used to examine surfaces of jewellery, gemstones and settings.
The type of stone setting tools needed will vary based on the type of setting, the gem stone, the metal and the technique being employed.
8. Measuring, Inspection and Finishing Tools
It is also crucial during inspection and finishing for precision during manufacture.
61. Vernier Caliper
A vernier caliper is used to measure the thickness, diameter and length.
62. Ring Sizer
Use a ring sizer for help in deciding the ring size.
63. Gemstone Scale
The weight of gemstones is measured by a gemstone scale or precision balance.
64. Jewellery Microscope
The microscope offers a more powerful magnification for detailed inspection and precision work.
65. Sandpaper
Abrasives like sandpaper get rid of scratches and smooth surfaces.
66. Polishing Motor
The jewellery polishing is done by a polishing motor.
67. Polishing Buffs
Polishing buffs use proper polishing compounds to polish jewellery surface.
68. Polishing Compounds
Compounds are used for polishing, and chosen depending on the type of metal and the required surface finish.
69. Ultrasonic Cleaner
An ultrasonic cleaner is used for cleaning appropriate jewellery and components by ultrasonic energy.
70. Steam Cleaner
The steam cleaner is used for cleaning the appropriate surfaces of the jewellery with the help of pressurised steam.
How to Choose the Right Jewellery Tools for Your Workshop
You won’t need to buy all jewellery tools name list. The right choice depends on the activities, materials, production volume and specialization of your workshop.
One way to select the right tools is to first design your workflow:
Design, Material Preparation, Cutting, Forming, Soldering, Stone Setting, Finishing, Inspection, Stock/Dispatch
After that, list the tools that are needed at each step.
For instance, the jewellers repair shop may require more pliers, files, mandrels, soldering tools and polishing tools. You will need magnification, special burs, pushers and gravers for a stone-setting workshop. Larger manufacturing enterprises might also require manufacturing preparation, material tracking and inventory systems along with physical workshop gear.
One thing often forgotten by many is that they buy tools just because they are in a generic jewellery kits without knowing if it is useful to the workshop or not.
Why Jewellery Businesses Need More Than Physical Tools
Jewellery tools assist jewellery artisans in creating and fixing jewellery, but as jewellery enterprises grow they must also deal with information related to those physical activities.
Manufacturers might require to keep a track of raw materials, stones, manufacturing process, work in process, job work, finished jewellery, and customer orders. If these records are kept separately, it may be hard to have a complete picture of production and stock.
That’s where jewellery ERP software can come into play and help the in-house workshop.
How Karat ERP Can Help Jewellery Manufacturers
Karat ERP is designed for jewellery manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers and brings manufacturing, inventory, production, purchasing, sales, financial and repair related process in an integrated solution. The current website also provides a listing of some of its features including stone inventory management, job work, barcode and RFID support, MIS reporting and real-time stock tracking.
The system offers inventory management for precious metals and diamonds and stones and production/work-in-progress management for jewellery manufacturers. These features can support companies to keep a lot more visible the details related to their manufacturing process.
Karat ERP also refers to a system-study and implementation methodology where the business workflows are checked for configuration and implementation. This can be especially important for jewellery retailers as the manufacturing, inventory, sales and repair operations may differ greatly from one retailer to another.
If your jewellery business is managing production, stock, orders and related records through disconnected systems, you can explore Karat ERP’s jewellery ERP solution or request a demo to discuss your specific workflow.
Conclusion
With the right jewellery tools, you can achieve precise craftsmanship. There are all kinds of tools: A bench pin is used to hold things in place, a saw cuts materials, a pair of pliers is for making and bending wire, a setting burg is for setting stones, soldering tools for soldering, rotary tools for cutting, polishing machines for polishing, and more.
But the selection of tools is not only to be made on the number of items a workshop is able to gather. When choosing a jewelry manufacturer, consider the type of jewelry they make, volume, materials, level of detail and finishing.
For jewellery manufacturers who are growing, the next step is to integrate the activities of the workshop with the production, stock and order management. An ERP solution that is tailored to the industry, like Karat ERP, can be useful to tie these business processes together in a single seamless workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important jewellery making tools?
Basic jewellery making tools are a jeweller’s saw, pliers, cutters, files, hammers, ring mandrel, soldering tools, tweezers, rotary tools and polishing tools. The specific tools needed vary according to the jeweller’s preferences, whether for fabrication, repair, stone setting or large quantity production.
What tools do goldsmiths use?
You’re likely to find pliers, saws, files, hammers, mandrels, anvils, bench blocks, torches, soldering tools, burs, rotary tools and polishing equipment among the most common tools that Goldsmiths utilize. Rolling mills, drawplates, dapping tools, engraving tools and stone-setting equipment can also be employed during more specialised workshops.
Which tools are used for jewellery stone setting?
Basic stone setting implements are setting burs, prong pushers, bezel pushers, bezel rollers, burnishers, gravers, stone setting tweezers and loupes. The tools necessary will depend upon the type of setting and gemstone being used.
How should a beginner choose jewellery-making tools?
A beginner should begin with tools that will facilitate the techniques that he/she wants to learn and not with all of the tools available. The very basic bench should have pliers, a jewellers saw, files, a hammer, a mandrel, a bench pin, tweezers and suitable soldering and finishing equipment.
Can jewellery ERP software manage manufacturing and inventory?
Yes. Jewellery ERP software can integrate manufacturing and stock processes with other business processes. Karat ERP claims it does jewellery manufacturing, inventory, production, work in progress, precious-metal and stone inventory, barcode/RFID tracking, sales, purchasing and repairs.