• Intricate tools are often needed to create intricate designs.jewelry image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com
  
  Tools used for jewelry-making are as various as the designs of pieces of jewelry themselves. Certain tools, however, are as useful for a beginning jewelry-maker as they are for a professional. The workshop setup recommended by Stephen O'Keeffe of "Jewelry Making: Tips and Tricks of the Trade" and Jinks McGrath of "The Encyclopedia of Jewelry Making" consists of a solid workbench of mid-chest height, a bench-pin and a C-clamp to attach the two, and a good source of light.
  
  

Cutters

• McGrath calls the jewelry saw "the first tool to buy and the one you will keep forever." With this in mind, you should buy the best saw you can afford. Blades are sold separately and their size is ranked by grade. For beginners, McGrath recommends grade 1, 0, or 0/1. Apart from the jewelry saw, O'Keeffe lists a few other practical tools for cutting: jeweler's shears used for cutting delicate sheet metal, heavier shears cut thicker metal, a piercing saw aids in cutting complex shapes, a junior hacksaw cuts through wood and metal, and a coping saw works on thicker wood and acrylic.
  
  

Pliers

• Pliers do the work of holding and manipulating tiny pieces. McGrath lists round-nosed and half-round pliers for bending, flat-nosed pliers for holding, bending and forming, and serrated-edged pliers for pulling wires straight or through small holes.
  
  

Hammers

• "If you only have one hammer to begin with," writes O'Keeffe, "make it a ball-peen hammer." For proper care of a ball-peen hammer, both sides of the head must be kept polished. Other hammers used in jewelry making include the wooden mallet, which is used for beating silver flat, and the jewelry-maker's mallet, the head of which is traditionally wrapped in rawhide.
  
  

Files

• Files may be used both to shape pieces of jewelry and to sharpen saw blades. O'Keeffe recommends that beginners buy a 6-inch flat file and a 4-inch half-round file. Flat files are used for straightening edges and half-round files are for defining curves. Needle files are used for precision work and come in a variety of shapes.
  
  

Blowtorch or Soldering Torch

• A blowtorch may be used for smaller soldering projects. Make sure to safety-proof your area before using a blowtorch: McGrath recommends setting a large soldering or charcoal block on an old metal pan or tray. For larger projects, you might purchase a larger soldering torch, like one used by plumbers.