button box spill

Buttons as beads:

Boston Bracelet and New Leaf Earrings

By their nature, buttons tend to have either a shank, with an opening for thread, or 2-4 holes for sewing.  These holes and openings mean your buttons can substitute for beads and work as connectors in jewelry design.  See round TierraCast buttons with a leaf pattern  in New Leaf Earrings and bone buttons sewn on the Boston Bracelet.

Buttons as clasps:

Dark and Dangerous Bracelet

Whether for popular wrapped lashed leather bracelets, or for necklace designs, adding a button to one end of your design and creating a simple loop or series of loops at the other end will complete your creation.  The Dark and Dangerous Bracelet uses a cast pewter Spiral Button for the closure.

Buttons as Cabochons or Cameos:

Cute as a Button Bracelet

Disk & Loop Bracelets make up into quick finished jewelry by gluing buttons to the disks.  If the button has a shank, you may need to trim it and file the surface, then add your favorite adhesive, and you have quickly created a new accessory.  Cute as a Button Bracelet uses an assortment of plastic “accoutrements” by Tim Holtz for decoration.

Copies of Buttons:

Buttons, Molds, and Cast Reproductions

Have a one-of-a-kind or vintage button that you love, but don’t want to part with?  2-part silicone molding material works great to make a mold of your treasure that you can re-create in polymer or resin and use time after time.  Silicone molds were quickly made of the buttons in this picture.  Reproductions of the buttons (without the pesky shanks) were easily made with Amazing Resin and SuperClear Resin.  For more information on making molds, see our previous blog: Making Your Own Molds is a Hoot.

Buttons you can buy from Rings & Things:

Rings & Things carries buttons in materials such as bone,

Assortment of Bone Buttons in various colors.

plastic,

Plastic Button Assortments

cast pewter

A sampling of pewter buttons.

one lone sterling offering

Sterling Flower Button

and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal

Crystal Buttons

Making a Button:

Resin Flower Buttons

Do you have an item without holes that you want to use as a button?  Easily glue a plastic button shank to your piece to create a button.  These work great for turning resin, polymer clay, hand-made glass, and ceramics into useable buttons.  Since these shanks are plastic, they don’t have the sharp edges that you sometimes find on metal shank findings.  The set shown above are made from resin flowers, colorized with gilders paste, and attached with E-6000.

Changeable buttons:

Cast Resin Button Covers

With a button cover and some glue, you can create a decorative cover that can be transferred from garment to garment, covering the plain or boring buttons used in manufacturing.  This set is made with super clear resin, colored with dye and glitter, and attached with E-6000.

Our pinterest board “Buttons” has further inspirations for using buttons and great handmade buttons.

~  Rita

Healing Shrine

Each year, thousands of people pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayo seeking blessings.  Many visitors take a small amount of “holy dirt” from the site, in hopes of a miraculous cure for themselves or someone who could not make the trip.  I chose to encase my “holy dirt” in a glass portal, that I nested inside a brass reliquary.  Following are instructions for how-to create this DIY jewelry design using stacked brass layers and cold connections.

First, envision your shrine and decide how you want it to look and feel.  Decide on contents for your glass bottle.  Unscrew the top loop from the cork in the glass vial.  Measure, mark and punch holes for rivets (using the small side of the hole punch).

Stamp word “heal” on the metal band designed to hold the glass vial.  Measure the band to ensure that it is going to fit.

Measure and bend metal band to fit glass vial

Using bail making pliers, bend the center of the band into a curved shape, leaving each end flat.  Cut to shorten as needed.  File the ends.

Arrange pieces and punch metal

Rivet the stamped metal band into place after double-checking that it will snugly hold the glass once it is assembled.

Rivet the band into place (to hold the vial)

Insert tube rivets in holes between the front and back of shrine, stacking copper heishi trade beads between the layers (to fill the space and strengthen the connection between the top and bottom layers).

Heishi beads as spacers between layers

  Rivet them into place.  Note: Be careful, it is very difficult to reinstall the heishi spacer beads if they fall off the tubes!

Place all  heishi beads before riveting together

Patina and clean.  Using two-part epoxy, attach a magnet to the back side of the shrine.  Carefully fill vial with contents.

Fill the vial and pop it into place

Once the glue has cured, pop the glass vial inside the band.  This DIY jewelry project can be a pendant, magnet or pin.

First, a few definitions:

Hypoallergenic

Hypoallergenic means “below normal” or “slightly” allergenic. The term was coined by the cosmetics industry in the 1950′s, and became a popular marketing term for jewelry soon afterwards.

Many people are allergic to nickel, so “nickel free” and “hypoallergenic” are sometimes considered synonymous. Be aware that hypoallergenic does not mean nickel-free, nor does it have a legal or medical definition for use in jewelry. You’re better off using specific materials rather than the vague term “hypoallergenic.”

Many people believe that stainless steel is nickel free, but most stainless steel alloys contain 8-12% nickel. Even surgical stainless steel is a slightly vague term that includes a variety of different alloys. Roughly 6-12% of the population is allergic to nickel, so although it’s legally acceptable to put a “hypoallergenic” label on all stainless steel, it doesn’t seem quite fair to those who are looking for nickel-free jewelry.

Just a few more terms to define, before I get to the list of good metals.

Elements and Alloys

Alloys (such as stainless steel, sterling silver and 14kt gold) are mixtures of elements (such as iron, gold, copper and zinc). People create alloys to change the color, melting temperature, and/or strength of lone elements. For example, solid gold is too soft for ear wires — to make it stronger, it is alloyed (mixed) with other elements such as silver and to make 14kt or other alloys of gold.

Nickel Free or EU Nickel Directive?

Since there isn’t a formal US definition of nickel free, and alloys vary, a good way to find items that are very low nickel, is to search for items that say they meet the EU Nickel Directive. Another method is to avoid alloys entirely, and focus on elemental metals such as niobium and titanium. For more information about the term “nickel free”, see our Nickel-Free Metals Information page.

Good Metals to try:

Because different people are allergic to different metals, there is no “one size fits all” solution. However, some metals are known to cause fewer problems than others.

Niobium

Niobium is an excellent choice for people with metal allergies. It is highly resistant to corrosion and other reactions, and is used in medical implants.  Niobium is not plated or painted, so the color will not flake or chip. It is anodized, meaning it is colored by dipping it into an electrically charged “bath.” Because it is an inert element, with no nickel, lead, or other additives,  most people with metal allergies can safely wear niobium. The main drawback to niobium, is that it doesn’t match basic silver and gold colors — but it is available in rich black, copper, blue, bronze, green, pink, purple, teal and yellow.

Do not be confused by the color similarities of anodized niobium and anodized aluminum. Both metals can be anodized to wonderful bright colors, but aluminum is far too soft for ear wires.

Titanium

Titanium is a very strong metal and is frequently used in medical implants. It is another excellent choice for people with nickel allergies.

Our titanium ear wires and earring posts are Grade 1 ASTM F67, which is unalloyed commercially pure titanium, and meets the EU nickel directive. Our titanium earring posts have either a Brittania pewter pad (tin, antimony and copper), or a stainless steel 430 flat pad.

Stainless Steel

There are over 100 alloys of stainless steel, and each is denoted by a unique SAE steel grade number, which may include one or more letters. Stainless steel alloys include steel (iron with carbon), chromium for scratch resistance and corrosion resistance, nickel to reduce brittleness and improve strength at both high and low temperatures, and other trace elements. For stainless steel alloys used in jewelry, these trace elements are approximately 0.75% silicon, 0.045% phosphorous, 0.03% sulfur, 2% manganese, and 0.1% nitrogen.

304 stainless steel is the most popular grade of stainless steel. It is 18-20% chromium, 8-10.5% nickel, 0.08% carbon, plus iron and the trace elements listed above. It is commonly used in the food industry (sinks, coffee urns, dairy storage and hauling, beer/brewing, citrus and fruit juice handling, etc). The same corrosion and stain resistance that make it great for food handling, also make it popular for jewelry.

Rings & Things stocks over 100 items made from 304 stainless steel: wire, ear wires, earring posts, stringing cable and cable chokers, jump rings, split rings, hair findings, lobster clasps, spring loaded clasps, dog tags, glue bails / pendant plates, beadable silverware, and beadable wine bottle stoppers. Some are plated, but most are raw stainless steel.

2-tone stainless steel ear wires allow you to have a plated (gold, copper, etc.) ball and coil, with a raw stainless steel ear wire.

304L stainless steel is almost the same as 304, but has a lower carbon content (0.03%), and may contain a slightly higher amount of nickel (8-12%). This alloy has increased weldability and resistance to corrosion (great for men’s jewelry).

430 stainless steel contains less than 0.75% nickel, and some forms of 430 stainless steel meet the EU nickel directive (less than .05% nickel ion migration). 430 stainless steel has good corrosion resistance compared to non-stainless steel, but not as good as the 304 and 316 alloys. This makes it less popular for jewelry than you would expect from its low nickel content.

Surgical Stainless Steel

Adding the word “surgical” to a stainless steel alloy’s name does not make it is better grade of steel. The SAE grade number (304, 430, 316L, etc.) defines the alloy and its properties, so the word “surgical” simply tells us “non-SAE-tech people” that 316 and 316L stainless steel alloys have properties suitable for temporary medical implants, or for making durable surgical instruments.

316 and 316L surgical stainless steel contain 2-3% molybdenum for even greater resistance to harsh corrosives (both industrial, and in the body). 316L is a low carbon version of 316, with extra corrosion resistance, and is frequently used for stainless steel watches and marine applications. Like most other stainless steel, it contains 8-10.5% nickel, making it unsuitable for people with nickel allergies.

Sterling Silver and Fine Silver

Sterling silver is an alloy containing at least 92.5% silver. The most popular sterling silver alloy is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. To prevent tarnish while on display in department stores and high-end jewelry stores, some sterling is plated with rhodium. Most people can safely wear good quality sterling silver, but a few are allergic to silver or copper. Sterling silver from reputable vendors is nickel free, but be aware that some jewelry marked sterling or 925 — especially if the price seems too good to be true — may contain little or no silver at all, or be alloyed with random metals.

Argentium™ sterling silver replaces some of the copper with 1.2% germanium (the remainder is 6.3% copper and 92.5% silver). Argentium sterling silver is tarnish resistant, laser weldable, and has other unique properties.

Other special alloys of sterling are occasionally available, each with its own unique properties. More info about sterling silver, including hallmarks.

Silver fill (also called silver overlay) is made by using heat and pressure to apply a layer of sterling (.925) silver to a base of less costly metal, usually brass. The minimum layer of silver must equal at least 1/20 of the total weight of the item. Silver fill is 100′s of times thicker than silver plating, so it lasts many years longer before wearing through the layer of silver. If you can wear sterling silver, you can most likely wear silver-fill items for quite a few years before you wear through the top layer to any irritating basemetal layers beneath it.

Vermeil, pronounced “vehr-MAY” [French], is gold plated sterling silver. If you can wear sterling silver, it’s very likely that you can wear vermeil.

Fine silver, sometimes stamped “.999″, is 99.9% pure silver, which means it is softer and more malleable than sterling. It is commonly used for bezels, handmade ball-end head pins, and components made by the Karen Hill tribes.

Just like sterling silver, fine silver can be misrepresented. If you’ve experienced allergies to cheap items marked sterling, 925 or 999, you may want to try again from a reliable, knowledgeable vendor before you rule out silver entirely.

Gold

Karat (kt) gold: Pure gold is 24kt, meaning 24 out of 24 parts are gold. 24kt is too soft to be functional, so it is alloyed with other metals for durability, cost and color. 14kt is 14 parts gold out of 24, and the remaining 10 parts are other metals. Depending on the color of gold (which can be yellow, rose, green or white), the other parts may be copper, silver, nickel, zinc, tin, palladium and/or manganese. People with nickel allergies should be aware that, until recently, most white gold contained nickel. Today, palladium is used to make a white gold alloy that is less likely to react to the wearer’s skin. All of the karat gold we carry is yellow gold.

Gold fill (also called gold overlay) is made by using heat and pressure to apply a layer of karat gold to a base of less costly metal. This produces a surface with karat gold. The minimum layer of karat gold must equal at least 1/20 of the total weight of the item. Gold fill is 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, so it lasts many years longer before wearing through the layer of gold. If you can wear 14kt gold, you can most likely wear gold-fill items for quite a few years before you wear through the top layer to the brass or other basemetal beneath it. Roughly half our gold-fill items are 12kt gold fill; the other half are 14kt gold fill.

Copper and Brass

Copper is a lovely reddish metal. It is easy to work with, but oxidizes quickly, and where it comes into contact with skin, can turn skin green. The “green skin” factor makes it unpopular for ear wires or earring posts. You can lacquer (or otherwise coat) it, but high contact points — such as going through an ear — wear off quickly.

Most people can safely wear copper, but aren’t always excited to have their skin turn color where it touches them. For this reason you may want to mount copper bracelet designs onto a sterling backing, or use copper-colored niobium ear wires on copper earrings.

Alternatively, many people believe that copper can prevent arthritis, so solid copper bracelets are popular. For this effect, it needs to touch (and react with) your skin, so skip any protective layers.

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Depending on the desired properties, the percents of copper and zinc can vary greatly. Because brass is usually 50-90% copper, it has roughly the same “green skin” properties as copper.  Cheap brass earrings may have irritating impurities in their alloy, causing an allergic reaction to people who aren’t allergic to either copper or zinc.

Brass is a popular material for plated ear wires, because it is inexpensive, easy to plate or electrocoat, and is relatively allergy-free.

Non-Metal Earring Findings

Some people are allergic to so many metals that it can be frustrating (or impossible) to find any that are wearable. A good solution is E’arrs Ear Protectors, non-metal sleeves that slide over earring posts (and ear wires).  These add a bit of thickness to the earring post (or ear wire) so they can be annoying for the first few days. After that, they are fine as long as you continue to wear them.

I hope this article helps you create wonderful jewelry, that’s wearable by the widest possible audience!

~Polly

Using one-step looping pliers and a few supplies, you can have a set of fantastic earrings in under 30 minutes!

Step One:

Gather supplies

Step Two:

Lay out pattern and mark paddles

Step Three:

Loop paddle-end head pins

Step Four:

Adjust and tighten loops

 Step Five:

Assemble

 Step Six:

Repeat for other earring & enjoy!

For more information, scroll down to see the video tutorial and review tips on this one-step looping pliers page.

Create a personal keepsake with this free DIY shrine pendant tutorial.

I love keepsake jewelry, and this reliquary necklace is perfect for capturing mementos.  You can adapt this pendant design to make your own personalized jewelry; encase a family photo, dried flower petals from a special event, or perhaps a lock of baby hair.

The following is a DIY tutorial for making a glass bezel shrine necklace.

Step 1: Gather the necklace components

Here are the parts you’ll need:

• Glass Bezel, Rectangle, 34x19mm
• Sheet, 20 Gauge, 6×1″
• Filigree, Triangle
• Charm, Cast, Small Honeybee
• Rhinestone Chain, 24pp
• Jump Ring, Round, Assorted Sizes
• Artistic Wire®, 26ga, 90ft
• Chain, Footage, Ball, 4.8mm, 100ft
• Clasp, Ball Chain, 4.8mm

Step 2: Cut and shape the brass blank

Measure and cut a brass blank 1 x 1-3/4″ in size; metal shears work great for this.  File the blank to soften the corners.

Step 3: Mark and punch holes

Measure and mark the following holes:

• Three hanging holes placed 1/8″ from the top and spaced to match the holes of the triangle filigree
• Two wire-lashing holes placed 1/8″ from each side and 5/8″ from the top

Punch holes in the marked positions with the two-hole punch.

Step 4: Patina the brass blank

Clean the blank with a micro-fine polishing pad.  Use a cotton swab to apply patina to the blank.  Polish with the polishing pad to a desirable finish.

Step 5: Add an image

Center the glass bezel on your patterned paper and use a pencil to mark the position.  With craft scissors, cut out the paper just smaller than the bezel’s exterior edge.

Step 6: Adorn and encase

Glue the patterned paper to the brass blank.  Glue on the bee charm (first remove the loop if desired) and rhinestone, checking the position with the glass bezel.  Glue on the glass bezel.  Allow to dry.

Step 7: Make cold connections

Lash the bezel in place with wire; this is both an adornment and cold-connection reinforcement.  Attach the triangle filigree to the pendant blank with jump rings.

Step 8: Finish the necklace

Add a large jump ring to the triangle filigree top.  String large ball chain through the jump ring and finish with a clasp.

»For a complete list of tools and supplies used to make the “Bee Keeper” Reliquary Necklace, visit Rings & Things Design Gallery.

Enjoy!

♥~Mollie

Here are visual micro steps so you can see exactly how the looping pliers work.

The 1-Step Looper works with head pins, eye pins and wire sized from 26 to 18 gauge, in both precious-metal and plated finishes.

Place a bead onto a head pin, slide the head pin into the pliers, and insert the excess wire through the hole in the pliers upper jaw.

Gently squeeze the pliers to trim and shape the wire.

Continue squeezing the pliers’ handles to form a perfect loop.

Before releasing the handles, gently press the wire downward to form a slight bend below the loop.

Release the handles to release the beaded charm.

The 1-Step Looper is not only quick and easy to use, but it’s fun to use! It takes just minutes to make dozens of beaded charms (or links).

With the 1-Step Looper, all your handmade jewelry can sparkle!

Make things!

♥ Mollie

[Editor's note: Rings & Things is happy to ship this 1-Step Looper Tool anywhere in the world -- but it keeps selling out, so if you see it in stock, don't hesitate!]