How To Make A Ring: 5 Beginner Projects

This pretty gemstone love heart ring is so simple and beautiful. The ring setting has a falt plate so all you need is a dab of glue to set the stone and the design is complete. Yes - it really is that easy!

You can get creative and choose your favourite gemstone cabochon to complete the look - perhaps a birthstone if you have a friend's birthday coming up?

TIP: Always check that you have chosen the correct sized gemstone for the ring setting.

What glue to use for jewellery making?

This is a question we get asked a lot and we always recommend Devcon Epoxy Glue which is available on our website. It's a reliable glue and a popular choice among jewellers as it's fast-drying and creates high-quality bonds for a secure design.

Not only can it be used for jewellery making, but it can also be used for all kinds of crafts with materials such as ceramic, glass, concrete and wood.

This project also requires glue but instead of using a gemstone cabochon (which has a domed top and flat bottom) as shown in the project above, we are using a half drilled bead! This featured ring setting is designed specifically for half-drilled beads.

Half drilled beads are drilled to the center point of the bead - this style is popular as the drill hole conceals the fitting, making the bead the most prominent feature. Perfect for making stud earrings or adding to a ring like this! Simply glue onto the setting for a quick and easy ring.

TIP: Check that the peg on the ring setting isn't too long, the bead should be flat on the setting when you push it onto the peg. If necessary you may need to file down the peg slightly using a needle file.

Gallery wire ring settings are also a popular design to use with your favourite gemstone cabochon.

All you need to do is insert the correct-sized cabochon stone into the ring setting and use a bezel rocker to gently push the claws over the stone.

Bezel Rocker

A bezel rocker is a great addition to your tool kit. Use a bezel rocker to gently push gallery wire claws over stone, alternating from each side, to keep the stone central.

This ring project requires slightly more skill with wire wrapping!

Our sterling silver loop ring is brilliant for getting creative by adding your favourite charms. We've gone for a coastal theme, attaching one of our popular sterling silver starfish charms and a wire-wrapped apatite briolette bead.

Follow our step by step guide with photos on how to wire wrap a briolette bead.

Explore Briolettes

We have a pretty range of gemstone briolettes to choose from for your handmade jewellery designs.

These beads are pear-shaped and great for wire wrapping to create pendants, earring drops and charms.

Take a look at our Jewellery Making Kits, filled with lots of ideas using our briolette beads.

Discover Jewellery Charms

Shop our range of charms for jewellery making in a range of styles and themes to suit your designs.

Whether you want to create a simple pendant, hang them from earrings or attach them to a bracelet - the choice is yours.

This is another wire wrapped ring project we love. Chip beads are a great choice to use if you want a unique stone to add interest to your designs.

In this project, we've used one of our Chinese turquoise chip beads and wire wrapped it to form a ring. Once you've practiced a few times, you'll be able to experiment with different designs such as adding more beads.

Shop Jewellery Wire

Choose from sterling silver, 9ct gold, copper, brass and plated wire for your jewellery designs, in a range of sizes to suit your needs.

The size of wire that you need will depend on your desired design and whether it needs to fit through a bead hole. For a ring band, we usually opt for 0.8mm wire so it's sturdy and less likely to bend out of shape, you can then combine this wire with another size if you are incorporating beads.

Jewellery Making Pliers

This pliers pack is one of our best sellers, containing all the jewellery pliers you need for bead stringing and jewellery making. It also comes in a handy zip-up case to keep them safe and easy to travel with.

Or browse our full range of pliers which are available to purchase separately here

Explore All Ring Settings...

Ready to make your first ring? Explore our ring settings for cabochon and faceted stones in a range of styles.

We also have a range of adjustable rings, which is great if you're unsure of your size or making a handmade gift for a friend.

How To Make A Soldered Ring Band

Guest tutor Jordan Lily Designs walks you through how to make a ring band with step by step photos and detailed instructions. A great beginners metalsmithing project!

You'll also find a list of recommended project tools and supplies.