You don´t need much to get started with making resin jewelry but there are a lot of tools that you can get to make the whole process of making resin jewelry easier and faster. In this guide, I will go over materials that you need, some materials that will simply make your life easier, and some that you can experiment with.
The materials that you need to make resin jewelry:
- Art resin or fast curing casting resin
- Silicon molds (either bought or self-made)
- Resin dye or alcohol inks to color the resin
- A digital scale
- Protective gear (nitrile gloves, FFP2 mask)
- Cups and steering sticks for mixing the resin
- Ornaments to place in the resin
- Jewelry Fixtures
There are a couple of more things that you can use to make resin jewelry but these are the most basic supplies that you should have to make your first few jewelry projects with resin.
I will explain why you need each of these materials and where you can find them in the following section.
The Minimum Required Tools
The minimum required tools are the tools you really need for making resin jewelry. You can find alternatives to the materials I am listing here but you will need at least similar supplies to make resin jewelry.
The minimum required tools for making resin jewelry are:
- Art resin or fast curing casting resin
- Silicon molds (either bought or self-made)
- Resin dye or alcohol inks to color the resin
- A digital scale
- Protective gear (nitrile gloves, FFP2 mask)
- Cups and steering sticks for mixing the resin
Let’s start with the right type of resin to use for making jewelry.
Resin
The best type of resin for making resin jewelry is UV-resistant art resin or UV-resistant casting resin.
If you don´t know what resin is then consider reading my epoxy resin guide for beginners right here.
Resin is basically a two-part synthetic resin that hardens once it has been mixed with a hardener in an exothermic reaction. It is clear, can be colored easily, and other materials such as ornaments, glitter, dried flowers, and so on can be encased in it.
For jewelry, you will need a type of resin that is transparent (you can color it later on), liquid, and UV-resistant.
The reason why it should be UV-resistant is that resin tends to yellow when exposed to the sun and you don´t want that for your jewelry.
The UV-resistant resin will eventually yellow in the sun as well but it will take multiple years until it starts yellowing.
My personal favorite resin for making jewelry is crystal clear art resin from let´s resin. It has a high UV resistance, is affordable, and is quite easy to use. You can buy it right here on Amazon.
Silicone Molds
Silicone molds are the second most important materials that you will need.
You will pour the resin into these molds to make your jewelry.
You can find a lot of different silicone molds on Amazon right here or you can also make your own molds.
But if you are just a beginner then I would highly recommend sticking with ready-made silicone molds.
Resin Dye or Alcohol Inks
Resin dye is used to color your resin in a specific color of your liking.
Resin dye is specifically made to color resin and they work great but I personally prefer using alcohol inks. You won´t see any difference in the outcome and alcohol inks are generally cheaper than resin dye.
You can buy generic alcohol inks in your local arts and crafts store or right here on Amazon.
You can also use other things to color resin with like acrylic paint but the outcome will be very different. You can find comparisons with pictures of all the different ways to color resin in this article that I wrote.
Digital Scale
The digital scale is needed to measure the correct ratio to accurately mix your epoxy resin.
This is very important because if you don´t mix your resin accurately then it might not harden properly or at all.
And a good digital scale nowadays only costs like 10$.
Protective Gear
Epoxy resin is toxic before and while it cures which makes it very important to wear protective gloves and a mask.
You need nitrile gloves to protect your hands from the liquid resin and an FFP2 mask to protect yourself from the toxic gases that are being created during the curing process of the resin.
Don´t use latex gloves as they can slightly dissolve when they get into direct contact with resin. Silicone gloves can also be used but are also much more expensive.
It is best to only work with resin in a well-ventilated area or outside. Don´t let it cure in the same room where eat or sleep!
Steering Sticks and Mixing Cups
The final things you need to make your first resin jewelry pieces are mixing cups and steering sticks to mix the resin.
I usually use either plastic or paper coffee cups and simple wood steering sticks to mix my resin.
These are cheap and you can buy them almost everywhere.
Tools That Will Make Your Life Easier
Now that we covered the absolutely necessary materials to make resin jewelry we will take a look at materials that will make your life easier or instantly make your resin jewelry look much more professional.
Tools that will make a resin jewelry maker’s life easier.
- Silicone matt
- Pipette for adding color
- Metal or gold jewelry frame
- Jewelry fixtures
- Degassing chamber
Every single one of these materials will help you with making resin jewelry or help you avoid making a mess. I will go over every single item in the list and explain why I recommend it and how it helped me.
Silicone Matt
One of the best purchases I ever did was the silicone matt. I use it for pouring resin and I place the molds on the matt while the resin in them is curing.
This way, if they were to spill then the resin will simply cure on the silicone matt and I can easily remove it from the map once the resin is fully cured.
Nothing sticks to silicone but silicone. So literally nothing you spill on the silicone matt will stay on there, including the resin.
My silicone matt helped me avoid several catastrophes and I can only highly recommend buying one!
Pipette
A simple plastic pipette is really cheap and it will help you immensely when coloring your resin.
You can perfectly control how much ink goes into your resin. This is especially useful if your alcohol ink comes without the integrated droppers on the bottles.
Metal or Gold Jewelry Frame
Jewelry frames are a great alternative to silicone molds but they are also harder to work with because if you don´t seal the bottom properly then the resin will spill out creating a mess.
Jewelry frames are available in many different types of metal from gold to copper.
You can seal the bottom part of the frame with some acrylic sheets and then pour the resin directly into the metal frame.
Once it’s cured simply remove the acrylic sheet on the bottom and sand everything flush. You will end up with a very professional-looking piece of resin jewelry.
Jewelry Fixtures
Jewelry fixtures are very useful to add some good-looking and rigid fixtures to your jewelry.
Most off-the-shelve resin molds for jewelry come with a hole in the top part of the mold that will allow you to add a jewelry fixture after the resin has cured.
But you can also simply thread something through the hole to fix the jewelry that way.
But you can also submerge the bottom part of the fixture into the liquid resin and then let it cure. Once it has fully cured the jewelry fixture will be permanently fused with the resin piece.
You can get a whole assortment of jewelry fixtures for quite cheap right here on Amazon.
Degassing Chamber
A degassing chamber might be a bit overkill in the beginning but if you plan on making resin jewelry on a more professional level then you can use a degassing chamber to remove all of the tiny bubbles trapped inside the resin to make your resin literally as clear as a crystal.
I would recommend a degassing chamber if you are struggling with bubbles in your resin.
But try to remove the bubbles with a lighter first by slightly torching the surface of the resin. If that doesn´t work then get a degassing chamber.
Most resins nowadays are degassing, meaning they will force the bubbles out and to the surface while they cure.
Experiment With These Materials When You Have the Basics Down
Once you have the basics down there are a lot of different things that you can experiment with. Things like:
- Glitter
- Pigment powder
- Dried flowers
- Pictures
- Silicone for mold making
- 3D resin printer
There are only very few limitations when working with resin so just experiment and see what works and what doesn´t.
Glitter
Glitter in any shape or form can make your resin look fantastic.
Either mix it with the resin before you pour it or add it to the silicon mold after you poured it to achieve different and amazing-looking results.
You can use pretty much any type of glitter there is apart from baking glitter.
Pigment Powder
Pigment powder can be used to color epoxy resin but it will make the resin opaque.
Pigment powder is great for creating unique coloring effects and there are even pigment powders that will make the resin glow in the dark!
Here is a link to regular pigment powder on Amazon and a link to glow-in-the-dark pigment powder also on Amazon.
Dried Flowers
You can add a lot of different materials to resin including organic materials such as flowers.
But make sure that you dry them first or they will rot and decompose even if they are entrapped in resin.
Pictures
You can also pour resin on top of a picture.
This will protect the picture from scratches and water and will allow you to make nice-looking pendants.
Make Your Own Silicone Mold
You can also make your own silicone mold.
I don´t recommend this for beginners but it is a nice way to personalize resin jewelry for the advanced.
I have a full guide on how to make silicone molds that you can read right here.
3D Resin Printer
Finally, you can get a 3D resin printer. I know this may sound a bit daunting but resin printers are quite easy to use and you can print some amazing jewelry with them.
You can add glitter or powder to the resin and you can use different colored resin exactly like you would when pouring the resin.
You can also print something with it and then make a mold out of it to make your resin jewelry.
There is no reason not to try 3D printing out anymore. It is very accessible, easy to use, and fast.
I have reviewed a couple of printers but the best one for resin printing would be the Mars 2 Pro from Elegoo. Read my review right here.
Hi, I am a passionate maker and professional prop maker for the entertainment industry. I use my woodworking, programming, electronics, and illustration know-how to create interactive props and puzzles for Escape Games and marketing agencies. And I share my knowledge and my experience on this blog with you so that you can become a maker yourself.