Hints & Tips - Advanced Jewellery Crimping; The next stage


Once the basic crushed crimp has been mastered, this is the next stage on - this is the use of a tube style crimp to make a neat rolled closure that will add value to your jewellery.

Here you can see the tube crimp bead, part of the toggle clasp on a split ring and some 1mm round beads threaded onto Beading thread (I am using Beadalon Professional in these photos).
Bring the other end of the beading thread back through the tube crimp; this makes a neat ring of little beads with the clasp in the centre, and crush the crimp bead with your pliers.
Using your crimping pliers using the back notch, press an indentation into the tube crimp so you have a definte 'V' shape in the centre of the tube.
The 'V' shape and the enclosing loop of little beads shown more clearly.
Using the back of the jaw of your crimping pliers, gently bend the 'V' shape round to form a neat tube.
Using the rolling notch in your crimping pliers, neaten the roundness of the tube shape.
Here is the completed clasp, ring and rolled crimp.
For extra security, I usually tie off the tails of the beading thread a couple of times; some thread won't do this without dire results but Beadalon Professional is designed to be tied as well as crimped - there are other threads that will tie after crimping like this, so just experiment with your preferred one to see if it will allow you to do this; for added security, you could dab a dot of glue over this knot.
Finally, I always slip another small bead on after the rolled crimp, this bead will slide over the knot to hide it, provide more security and make a neat starting point for your stringing.

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