Information on what findings are and how they are used

Findings is the collective term for all the pins, wires,earhooks, clasps and related item which forms the "skeleton" on which beaded jewellery is based. There are dozen of different items, but we offer a core range of the most useful and versatile ones. So this is a quick guide for the begiinner, on the names and purpose of the different findings:

Headpins and eyepins -these are the foundations on which beaded pendants are made. Headpins have a flat head at the base, so make a good base for a pendant.,for more complex pendants containing linked together sections, use eyepins, which have a ready made loop at the base to attach pendants to. For more information, please see the article "Turning Loops".

Earhooks - Don't really need an introduction, except to say that these can come in many varieties, the most popular being the shepherds crook, but for shorter styles, french posts and butterlly backs are popular, there are also non-pierced styles which beaded pendants can be hung from.

Crimps -tiny metal rings, which can be squashed shut to firmly fix beads in position on wired styles, for more information, see the artticles on Making Floater or Illusion Necklaces.

jump rings-round or oval, these rings have a split allowing them to be opened. They are used to join sections of jewellery together, for example when attaching a clasp to the two ends of a necklace.

necklace clasps -used to join neckalce or bracelet ends together, usually having a spring to open and close. The round shape is known as a bolt ring(we don't know why either!) and the teardrop shape is called a carabiner,and is in fact the same shape as the item used by mountain climbers.

pendant bails -used for pendants which are top drilled with a hole from front to back or through the sides. Not pictured here, the most popular is the triangle bail, which is like an opened claw shape, which is closed inside the hole of the pendant to allow it be hung.

calottes -used to make neat ends out of threading materials such as nymo thread or tiger tail wire, these clam shell shaped items are an essential, see the artticle in the online jewellery making course for more details.

Thong clamps- for gripping thong and providing a neat ring for attaching clasps to. ee the artticle in the online jewellery making course for more details.

There are more, of course, but these are probably the most important. We provide various packs of assorted findings to suit your budget, see Creative Collections in our online shop section.