‘Findings’ is one of those ‘industry terms’ that I had never heard of before, so I thought it would be helpful to give a little overview for others like me. In a nutshell, ‘findings’ is an umbrella term for all the little ‘connector’ pieces that you need to make a complete piece of jewelry. It’s a broad term that covers several items that are used for different purposes, so I’ll share some examples here.
Jump Rings
Jump rings are small circles that are used to connect or add things to a piece of jewelry, such as a charm or a dangling stone or bead. They can be opened and closed with pliers to hook the jewelry pieces together.
Closures and clasps
These are also umbrella terms for the pieces of jewelry that close up the piece, and there are several types that have their own specific names as well – lobster clasps, toggles, hook-and-eye closures, and many more.
Earring hooks
These are pretty self-explanatory but are included within the ‘findings’ bucket. This is a great example of a place where you’d use a jump ring to connect the hook to the jewelry you’ve made (using that little loop at the end).
Headpins and eyepins
Pins are used to attach a bead (or multiple beads) that you want to dangle on a piece of jewelry. With both types, once you’ve strung the bead(s) onto the pin, you’ll create a loop on the other end. Headpins are blunt on the end and sit flush against the bead, while eyepins have a loop on the end so you have a connector point on each side of the bead. You’ll often use these in conjunction with jump rings to connect the pieces of your jewelry together.
Know that this is not an exhaustive list by any means, just a few examples to give you an idea. Also, in some contexts, things like chains and even beads can fall under the category of ‘findings’. As you continue to make your jewelry and shop for supplies, you’ll start to add this term into your own lexicon.
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