Crimping pliers with 100 Crimp beads from Beadsmith

Crimp beads are small metal beads that give a secure and neat finish when making jewelry on jewelry wire. You thread the wire through the crimp bead and the clasp, flatten the bead – and the clasp stays in place.

How to do it

1. Thread a crimp bead onto the wire, pass the wire through the eye of the clasp, and bring it back through the crimp bead.
2. Slide the crimp bead up against the clasp, but leave a small loop so the clasp can move freely.
3. Squeeze first in the back notch on the crimping pliers, so the bead folds around the two wires. Turn it a quarter turn and squeeze in the front notch, so it becomes round and neat.
4. Gently pull on the clasp to check that the crimp bead is secure.
5. Cut off the excess wire close to the crimp bead, or hide the end inside the next bead.

Without crimping pliers

You can also flatten the crimp bead with a pair of flat nose pliers. It will hold, but won't become as round and neat as with crimping pliers.

Choose the right size

The hole in the crimp bead needs to be big enough for two layers of wire, but not so big that it can't clamp firmly around them. Crimping pliers are made for a specific size – several of ours are made for 2 mm crimp beads. A wire protector around the loop also protects the wire at the clasp.

In short: With a crimp bead and crimping pliers, your jewelry on wire gets a finish that both holds and looks neat.