Handmade Silver Jewelry by Jo

Equipment: Crimp pliers (I use Eurotools)

Ending a beaded bracelet with a crimp bead or tube can be trying.  If you squeeze it too hard, the crimp just breaks and you have to start again.  If you don’t squeeze it enough, the string just comes out and all the beads fall off. This is an easy “how to” use a crimp tube correctly.

Place a crimp bead (tube) at the end of your beading wire or string and push down about 2 1/2-3 inches…this leaves about 3 inches of string to finish off.  (You can adjust to less as you get more proficient).  Thread the clasp of the through the string to meet the crimp. Fold the string around the clasp and lace through the crimp so now you have both ends of the string or wire through the crimp. (one short one and the long one that has the bracelet or necklace beads on)

With your crimp tool, squeeze the crimp bead, gently but firmly, with the first hole at the nose of the tool.  Then move to the second hole and squeeze again.  The crimp bead should now be bent in the middle.  That’s it! You did it! Repeat on the other side with the other half of the clasp! 

Use a crimp cover bead over the folded crimp tube for a more refined look! A Crimp Cover Bead is a special silver or gold bead that is “open”. Place it over the crimp tube and gently close it around the tube with the first hole toward the nose of the pliers. It takes a little practice but it will close and look exactly like a bead.

You can also use a bead with a hole large enough to fit over the crimp tube to cover up the tube.  Try this a few times and you will come out with a perfect crimp every time!

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If you want to anneal sterling silver wire, coil it up, if you can. Then, I place it in a terra cotta bowl with pumice in it. It’s easiest if you can heat it in low light so you can see it turn red. Turn your torch to a yellow bushy flame.  Once the silver is red, follow it with the torch once or twice..that should do it. Sometimes you can see it relax while you’re torching.  Same theory works for sheet silver…make sure to heat evenly.

Using a pair of tweezers or tongs, lift it up and quench it in water, and you should be able to bend it with your fingers if it annealed.  I always tumble everything once it’s a finished piece to clean it. 

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Need to make a hole in your silver?  Here’s a few tips for beginners…

Before you drill, make sure you take a scribe and make an indentation, or use a center punch to mark where to start the hole.  Then put your piece on a bench pin, and hold it firmly.  Turn on the dremel or Flexshaft to about medium speed…not too fast or the metal you are cutting away will ball up on the drill bit.  Press firmly and let the drill do the work…Once you have your hole, turn the piece over and put the drill in the hole again, and that will clear off any burrs.  Easy! 

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