Discover Stuller’s must-have consumables for top-notch bench performance.
As a bench jeweler, your toolkit is your lifeline. The quality and longevity of your creations hinge on the consumables you use. From burs to polishing buffs and brushes, each tool plays a critical role in shaping, refining, and perfecting your jewelry pieces.
Our buyer’s guide aims to help you make informed choices on ten essential types of consumables to elevate your craftsmanship. Set your bench up for success with all the tools and supplies you need from Stuller.
#1 Burs
Bench jewelers use burs for a variety of tasks in their work, primarily involving the precise cutting, shaping, and finishing of metal and other materials. Our experts at Stuller recommend opting for bur sets that offer several different shapes and sizes so you’ll be equipped for any job.
Stuller Bur®
Crafted with the stone setting process in mind, Stuller-designed burs make it easy to cut precise angles for your jewelry pieces. Manufactured exclusively by Dedeco® for Stuller, you’ll get the most accurate cut — every time.
Panther Bur®
Panther® has earned a reputation for the highest standards in precision tool production in the world. Only the finest quality hardened tool steel is used.
Busch Bur®
Busch® burs are made of the highest quality tungsten vanadium steel and are precision machined for smooth, even cutting and finishing at any speed.
Understanding Bur Shape Types
You’ll need a wide variety and selection of bur shapes in your arsenal of jewelry tools at your bench. We break down the many types of bur shapes for you here.
#2 Lubricant
It’s important to use lubricants with burs so that you’ll achieve smoother cuts, extend the life of your tools, reduce heat buildup, and minimize the risk of damaging the workpiece.
Pro-Cut™ Bur Cutting Compound
Pro-Cut Bur Cutting Compound is a petroleum-based lubricant that extends the useful life of burs, sawblades, and cutting tools.
#3 Drill Bits
Jewelers typically use a range of drill bit sizes and types to set stones, create holes for jump rings, add fine details or patterns, hollow out sections of metal, remove excess material and broken prongs, or to replace damaged settings with new ones. Titanium-coated drills last four to five times longer than non-coated drills and run cooler due to less friction.
PRIMO® #61-80 Titanium-Coated High-Speed Jobber Twist Drill Bit Set
PRIMO® #50 (1.78 mm) Jobber Twist Drill Bits
#4 Jewelry Files
Jewelry files help in shaping and refining the edges, surfaces, and overall form of metal pieces. By using files of different shapes and coarseness, you can achieve desired contours and smooth out rough areas. They are great for making small adjustments to ensure components fit together perfectly.
Different grades of files — from coarse to fine — are used in stages to achieve a high-quality finish on the metal surface before polishing. This ensures that the final piece not only looks good but is also comfortable to wear and free from sharp edges.
Grobet USA® Swiss Precision Barrette Needle File
Grobet USA® Swiss precision files are made of the highest quality steel, machined and finished for precision shape, accuracy, and balance. This barrette needle file is excellent for exacting work under magnification.
#5 Saw Blades
Essential for cutting and shaping metal, saw blades come in a range of sizes, thicknesses, and tooth configurations which makes them suitable for a variety of cutting tasks from rough cuts to very fine, detailed work. The saw frames used with these blades often have adjustable tension, allowing jewelers to keep the blade taut for more accurate cutting.
Pike® 1/0 Gold Saw Blade
#6 Solder
Forms of solder include sheet, strip, paste, chip, and wire. Used for joining metal pieces together, solder comes in different flow types, such as hard, medium, and easy, which indicate their melting points. Applications include repairs, stone setting, assembly of components, creating hinges and clasps, and adding decorative elements. Solder is crucial in creating complex jewelry designs that cannot be fabricated from a single piece of metal.
Plumb solder is equivalent in karat quality to the piece of jewelry it is used on. Repair solder is a lower karat quality than the piece of jewelry it is used on due to a lower melting point and cost efficiency.
#7 Flux
This chemical agent is used with solder to clean and prepare the metal surfaces, ensuring a strong bond. Bench jewelers use flux in the processes of soldering and brazing to prevent oxidation, dissolve contaminants, improve flow, increase weld strength, and protect the workpiece. Flux acts as a barrier that shields the workpiece from atmospheric gases like oxygen and nitrogen that could affect the quality of the joint.
Different types of flux, such as paste, liquid, or powder, may be used depending on the specific metals and conditions.
Batterns® 8 Oz Self-Pickling Flux
#8 Abrasives
Available in different grits, abrasives are used primarily for shaping, smoothing, and finishing pieces of jewelry. After cutting or molding materials, the surfaces are often rough. Abrasives smooth out these surfaces, preparing them for further finishing processes like polishing. In some cases, abrasives are used to clean surfaces by removing oxidation, tarnish, or dirt.
Pacific™ Abrasives Gray 5/8" Square-Edge Medium Silicone Polishers
This dark gray coarse polisher removes scratches and prepares the material for a high-shine gloss. It’s sold in packs of 10.
#9 Polishing Compounds
Polishing compounds help smooth out the surface of metal pieces by removing small scratches, dents, and imperfections produced during the manufacturing and handling processes. These compounds are used to achieve a mirror-like finish on metals. They are available in various grades — from coarse to fine — allowing jewelers to use a step-by-step approach for progressively finer polishing to achieve the desired finish.
Fabulustre® 1/4 LB Polishing Compound
#10 Polishing Buffs and Brushes
Polishing buffs and brushes are used with polishing compounds to create a high shine on metal surfaces. Polishing buffs are essential for preparing surfaces for other processes, such as plating, setting stones, or engraving, ensuring these subsequent processes adhere properly. Polishing brushes can reach into intricate and detailed areas to ensure that every part of the piece is polished thoroughly.
Grobet USA® Chemkote 3" Yellow Treated Muslin Buff
1/4" x 3/16" Soft Mounted End Bristle Brushes
Ready For You
Stuller has a vast array of bench jeweler tools and supplies in stock and ready for rapid delivery so that you can find everything you need to run your shop efficiently.
If you have any questions about our consumables, you can speak with a member of our Tools Tech Team by calling 1-800-877-7777, extension 4300.