Hello, jewelry aficionados! Today, we’re delving into an exciting niche in the world of adornments – permanent jewelry, or as it’s also known, welded, flash, fused, or infinity jewelry. This jewelry is custom-fitted to the customer’s wrist, ankle, neck, or finger. They choose the chain, a connector, and any charms they’d like from your collection, and then the ends are permanently welded, creating a seamless chain.
Permanent jewelry offers a whole new level of permanence and commitment. It’s not just another accessory you put on and take off at will. Once it’s on, it’s meant to stay on, becoming a part of your style for as long as you like.
Creating permanent jewelry requires precision, skill, and, of course, the right set of tools. That’s where Xuron® comes in. With our range of high-quality, durable, and user-friendly tools, crafting welded jewelry is an enjoyable creative process.
A Growing Pop-Up Style Business
Alba of Linx by Wednesday offers the “permanent jewelry experience” to her growing clientele. She sets up pop-up stands at community and private events. Alba says, “The best part of my business is meeting new people and getting to know them. When you can laugh, smile, and still manage to do your part, it’s the best feeling ever!”
What Tools are Essential for Creating Permanent Jewelry?
Creating permanent jewelry requires a specific set of tools. In addition to a permanent jewelry welder, you’ll need
- ♦ two pliers – one grounded
- ♦ flush cutter
- ♦ good lighting
- ♦ eye protection
- ♦ a small square of leather to place between the skin and chain while welding
Alba says that Xuron® tools are essential for her welded jewelry business. Her go-to pliers – the 475 Short-Nose Precision Pliers – are a staple in her tool kit. “I cannot weld without them.”
Xuron® 475 Short Nose Pliers with Grounding Strap from Micro-Tools
Alba uses an “Orion mPulse Arc” welder she purchased from SunStone Welders.
Most permanent jewelry welders come standard with alligator clips for grounding. However, Micro-Tools offers Xuron® 475 Short-Nose Pliers with a grounding strap. These make welding permanent jewelry faster and give you better control. Their 2mm tips are perfectly sized for holding, opening, and closing jump rings. A removable banana connector keeps the pliers securely connected to the welder. A full five feet of grounding cable gives you flexibility in your workspace. Like all Xuron® tools, the 475 is made in the USA.
Find Alba of Linx by Wednesday at linktr.ee/LinxByWednesday
Xuron® 450 TweezerNose™ Pliers
Alexandra Gioia uses Xuron® 450 TweezerNose™ Pliers instead. She says, “Two pliers are required when working with jump rings. I’ve used these specific ones for years, and I LOVE them because of their narrow tips, which make it easier to grab your jump rings. I also attach my alligator clip to one pair to ground them.”
Xuron® 450 TweezerNose™ pliers feature a narrow tweezer nose tip, making it easy to grab small jewelry findings. Pliers blades are smooth (no serrations), so they will not mark or damage your jump rings. I have tried dozens of pliers, and these are by far my favorite for handling tiny jump rings for permanent jewelry! ~ Alexandra Gioia
Find Alexandra Gioia at Instagram.com/alexandragioia
Xuron® 452 Narrow TweezerNose™ Pliers
Xuron® 452 Narrow TweezerNose™ Pliers are precision-engineered tools with ultra-narrow tips less than 1mm wide, ideal for intricate jewelry making and micro soldering. Crafted from durable carbon steel, these pliers offer a firm grip on the tiniest jump rings, ensuring flawless soldering work. These pliers are designed to create stunning jewelry pieces with unparalleled precision and have ergonomic handles for comfort and control. Note: these pliers are for holding only – not for bending, forming or twisting.
Xuron® 452s are a must for any permanent jewelry artist. Or really any jewelry artist working with small gauge chain and rings. The long, thin nose gives me the best visibility of my workspace, but knowing they are Xuron® they are also way more durable than similar pliers on the market. ~ Ashley Donnell
Find Ashley Donnell of The Babe Standard at Instagram.com/thebabestandard/
Xuron® 2175 Maxi-Shear™ Flush Cutter
The Xuron® 2175 Maxi-Shear™ Flush Cutter is a strong, durable cutter ideal for making jewelry, including permanent jewelry. It’s designed for cutting soft wire up to 12 AWG (2 mm) and produces clean, flat cuts. Permanent Jewelers use them to cut chains and jump rings.
Xuron® 2194 Tapered Head Hard Wire Cutter
The Xuron® 2194 Tapered-Head Hard Wire Cutter was developed based on feedback from the permanent jewelry community. It’s a versatile new tool for permanent jewelry technicians and jewelers, designed to cut chain, very small jump rings, and wire (including stainless steel) up to 2mm. This specialty tool leaves a flat end on both the cut and cut-off sides for easier rejoining or welding.
No more ruining your flush cutters by attempting to cut hardened wire. The 2194 is the tool to use if you are not sure of the composition of your wire/chain.
Choosing the Right Cutter
When selecting the tool to cut chain, jump rings, and wire, consider both the size of the material to be cut and the hardness. Note that the 2175 cuts up to 2 mm soft wire, and the 2194 cuts up to 2 mm hard wire. That’s an important difference. If you grab the 2175 to cut something larger or harder, you’ll damage the cutting blades. The same idea applies to all flush cutters. There’s a delicate balance between the size of the blades (especially at the tips) and the strength of the tool.
Your choice of tools makes a huge difference in the quality of your finished product and your well-being. Each tool is precision-engineered and hand-crafted to meet a specific need. One of those needs is that a tool feels good in your hand and is ergonomically designed for comfortable use. Our tools feature comfortable handles that provide a steady, non-slip grip, and a gentle return spring to reopen the tool to an open position after use.
All Xuron® products are manufactured at our factory in Saco, Maine, USA, with a guarantee that our products are free of defects in materials and/or workmanship, provided the tool has been used as recommended by Xuron Corporation.
Resources to Help You Get Started in Permanent Jewelry
Permanent Jewelry Expo in Las Vegas, June 4-6, 2024
AG Jewelry Supply Co. is a one-stop shop for high-quality materials to run your jewelry business
Permanent Jewelry Bestie offers PJ training and a Permanent Jewelry Business Success Guide
forEVER Permanent Jewelry offers permanent jewelry supplies and training
Original Permanent Jewelry Community on Facebook
Unlock the Sparkle: Win a Custom Permanent Jewelry Tool Kit!
Would you like to win a custom permanent jewelry tool kit that includes models 475, 450, 452, and the new 2194? One lucky reader who fills in the form below will be entered for a chance to win this fabulous kit!
We’ll randomly draw the winner’s name from our Jewelry Tools News subscribers on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
