Jewellery-makers use a variety of materials in their craft, sometimes using jewellery findings base nickel as final components to their finished products. However, like all materials, there are a couple of considerations that hobbyists take into account in their choice of materials.

Jewellery findings are metal parts and components used in jewellery-making. These findings may come in the form of charms, pins, earring plugs and pins, barrette backings, and even chain loops used to connect parts of assembled necklaces. Base metals refer to metals that are often used for jewellery findings. These base metals—including silver, copper, nickel, brass, steel, or iron—are primarily used as jewellery findings for costume jewellery.

Nickel is one of the more popularly used metals. Nickel can act as a final layer, as when most jewellery findings are first coated in copper before they are coated in a final base metal like nickel or silver. However,
nickel, particularly white nickel plates, serves as base for all items that are gold-plated later on.

Nickel is in fact a silver-tinted alloy that, surprisingly, contains only nickel and no amount of silver. In some areas, nickel is known as German silver. However, nickel in its pure, elemental form, is extremely hard, rendering it almost possible to manipulate and shape. This is the reason why more reputable resources of jewellery findings will offer nickel findings that are mixed with copper and zinc. The addition of these two elements makes nickel much easier to work with and more flexible to respond to the needs of the jewellery-maker.

At the end of the day, jewellery makers have a vast range of options as to which base metal to use for their jewellery findings. Should the look and appeal of nickel suit your taste, be sure to find dealers that are aware of the difficulties of working with nickel, and as such, offer nickel base jewellery findings with elemental combinations to enhance its workability.