The Westport Library Resource Guides: Jewelry Making: About

Jewelry Making for Beginners

A Guide to Jewelry Making

Jewelry making dates back thousands of years and crosses many continents, with a rich history in personal adornment and symbolism. It encompasses many materials, from beads to wire, gemstones to precious metals. You may choose to embark on jewelry making as a hobbyist or even as a professional jeweler. This guide will cover different types of jewelry and how you can make jewelry at home.

Jewelry making is the process of creating ornamental pieces worn for personal decoration or adornment. The materials can range from stone to precious metals, and the techniques are versatile and limitless. Various types of jewelry making incorporate different skills, so be sure to research the different types before you begin.

Beaded jewelry is the art or craft of attaching beads by stringing them with a needle and thread or thin wire. Beads used in jewelry are small pieces of plastic, glass, gemstones, or wood, typically round in shape, with a hole in the center for threading.

Wire wrapping is one of the oldest jewelry-making techniques, dating back 4,300 years in Iraq. It was traditionally used as a storytelling technique and is now used to make jewelry and sculptural artwork. The process consists of wrapping wire components over one another to connect them without soldering or heat.

Silver and goldsmithing are the processes of shaping precious metals into jewelry and small objects by hammering, casting, soldering, chasing, riveting, embossing, and more.

Fused glass is used to fabricate jewelry components, like pendants and small wearables. You only need a kiln and a few simple tools to create a finished fused glass piece. Different types of glass and colors of glass make the possibilities of fused glass jewelry limitless. Continue reading from The Crucible