Resin jewelry has become a huge trend in recent years, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Resin is comparatively more sustainable, and certainly more aesthetically pleasing, than plastic. Plus, it is lighter and more durable than glass. Understandably, it is a great material to make one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces.
There are a ton of fun ways that you can customize and be creative with resin art and especially resin jewelry. Making resin jewelry is a fun hobby that can give you high-quality, creative accessories to spice up your look. They would also make great gifts for friends, and you can even start a small business with your hobby.
So what type of resin works best for jewelry? Epoxy resin is the best for beginners to use in jewelry making; it is strong, durable, and easy to work with. However you may need casting resin for deep molds or other resins to match your mold type.
There are many different types of resins, with different textures, characteristics, and cure time. Whatever type of resin you are working with, you need to read the instructions carefully to get the best results for your jewelry pieces.
If you’re just getting started with this new hobby, you’re probably wondering about the different types of resins and how it works. In this article, we’ll walk you through the best resins for jewelry making.
What to Know About Crafting Resin Jewelry
To help you choose the right resin for your needs, you’ll want to consider your skill level, your jewelry mold, and how the process will work.
Choosing Resin For Jewelry Making
1. Consider epoxy resin if you’re a beginner.
If you are a complete beginner in resin art, we recommend using epoxy resin, which is especially suitable for jewelry making.
Compared to the popular polyester resin, epoxy is quite strong and durable. Once cured, it will be water-resistant and maintain its look for a long time – you won’t have to worry about yellowing or damages after using.
Epoxy resin is quite beginner-friendly because mixing and pouring it doesn’t take a lot of skill. As with any type of resin, you should measure and mix according to the instructions to get the right result. However, epoxy is quite easy to work with and easy to pour, so you can get just the right look for your jewelry.
2. Match your resin to your mold/jewelry needs.
The type of mold you are using will also determine the kind of resin you should purchase. For example, if you are using a big, deep jewelry mold, you should use a casting resin, which has a water-like consistency and dries flat.
Of course, resin jewelry became popular because you are free to add whatever you’d like to the mold before pouring the resin. You can add small tokens, flowers, glitter, paper, and anything else you can think of to customize your resin jewelry.
So if you are using bezels to create pendants or earrings, you should use a jewelry resin that has a thicker consistency (which can include some epoxies), which will produce a curved finish. This type of resin will give your pendant a domed shape that looks quite sophisticated.
3. Pay attention to cure time.
Depending on the type of epoxy and the hardener you are using, the cure time – the time it takes for the resin to completely harden and ready to wear – will be different. Some resins take only a few minutes, while others can take hours and even days.
This cure time won’t necessarily affect the strength of the resin, but if you see a cure time that is especially short, you may want to research the brand; it’s possible you may have a weaker formula on your hands. But most of the time, cure time affects your process more than anything else.
Tips For Making Resin Jewelry
Since most resin has a strong chemical smell, you should work in a well-ventilated area and follow other safety protocols to protect your wellbeing and others’.
Most resin kits come with equal amounts of resin and hardener, which you will need to mix in equal parts in order to activate the resin. One common mixing mistake is not measuring out the resin and hardener properly. You won’t be able to eyeball this part, since without accurate measurements, the resin will not give you the desired effects.
Therefore, you will need to use measuring cups to make sure you have the exact same amount of resin and hardener. Once you have the two components together, you should mix them really well in order to activate the resin. Without this step, the resin will not cure properly.
When pouring, make sure that you pour the resin slowly in thin layers to avoid any bubbles. You can use a small needle to release the big bubbles, and any small bubble will be released during curing.
Since the resin can harden quite quickly, make sure you have the desired design before mixing and pouring the resin so that you won’t have to switch anything around while pouring, which can mess up your design.
You can even create a layered effect by pouring a thin layer, allow the resin to dry completely, add more elements, and pour another layer. You can repeat these steps as many times as you would like to achieve the desired look.
7 Best Resins For Jewelry
If you want a more specific recommendation for which epoxy resin to use for jewelry-making, below are our picks of the best resins to use for jewelry:
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Limino Improved UV Resin | Clear, hard type, nozzle applicator |
| 2. | Vigor Jeweler's Epoxy 2 Step Setup | Clear resin, hardener |
| 3. | Easy Cast Clear Casting Epoxy Kit | Low odor, clear, resin & hardener |
| 4. | ComposiMold Clear Epoxy Resin | Slow cure, clear, resin & hardener |
| 5. | PEBEO Gedeo Glazing Resin | Clear, glossy, semiliquid resin & hardener |
| 6. | AMAZING Epoxy Resin Kit | Clear, super glossy resin & hardener |
| 7. | TotalBoat Thickset Deep Pour Epoxy Kit | Clear, glossy, pourable, BPA-free resin & hardener |
Let’s look at each one in more detail, shall we?
1. Limino UV Resin
This epoxy resin is a great choice for beginners because you simply don’t have to do any mixing and measuring before working with this resin. Compared to other types of resin where you have to combine it with a hardener to activate it, this epoxy is a much more convenient option.
This epoxy resin is formulated to cure under UV light or sunlight in just a few minutes. You can take all the time you need to pour and adjust the shape, and once you are happy with how it looks, you can leave it under a 36W UV light or even sunlight to cure. It hardens in less than ten minutes, and the bubbles will be released during this process.
Once cured, the resin will be transparent with a flat surface. It will resemble the elegance of glass while being quite strong and durable. This resin won’t yellow or lose its transparency over time, which makes it great for some long-lasting jewelry pieces.
The bottle is designed with a pointed tip for precise application, which is great if you are making small pendants or even earrings. This epoxy is also great if you need to repair resin jewelry since it’s so convenient to use. We highly recommend this option for beginners who need to familiarize themselves with resin pouring and the properties of resin.
2. Vigor Jeweler’s Epoxy 2 Step Setup
This jeweler’s epoxy resin comes in two components, a resin, and a hardener. To activate the epoxy, you will need to mix the epoxy and the hardener in equal parts. Once the formula is well-mixed, you can pour this mixture into a mold or bezel, and the resin will cure in just five minutes!
This epoxy resin comes in a small quantity, so it is a great starter kit if you are just dipping your toes in resin art. You can test your skills in mixing and pouring resin in a small dose first and learn from there. Of course, the short cure time won’t allow you much time to pour the mixture, so you will need to prepare other elements first before mixing the resin.
This epoxy resin is great for jewelry-making because it cures into a strong and transparent resin that is waterproof, oil-proof, and even unaffected by gasoline. This small kit is great for making small pieces like earrings or pendants in small quantities, so it is a great starter kit for hobbyists who are just learning about resin art.
For professionals, this is also a good option if you need to repair resin jewelry. This resin can act as glue to help you fix small cracks or mistakes without having to mix a large quantity.
3. Easy Cast Clear Casting Epoxy Kit
This 8-ounce epoxy resin kit is also great for hobbyists who are making small, intricate jewelry in small quantities. It comes with an epoxy resin and a hardener, which you can mix in equal amounts to activate the resin.
This resin is quite unique because it has no strong chemical odor, meaning working with it is quite comfortable and even pleasant. Keep in mind that you still need to work in a well-ventilated area to protect your wellbeing.
Once mixed and poured, the mixture will take up to 48 hours to cure. This amount of time may seem long, especially compared to other types of resins, but this process will allow you plenty of time to pour the resin to get the perfect look. This time will also help the resin release all the bubbles and dry clear.
This resin has a thin, water-like texture, so it will not take much effort to pour. Once dry, the resin will have a flat surface and smooth texture, perfect for an elegant, long-lasting piece of jewelry.
Since 8 ounces is quite a small quantity, you can only make a few pieces at a time, which is perfect if you are only experimenting. You can also use it as glue to repair other pieces of resin jewelry, as this amount is quite convenient to mix and pour.
4. ComposiMold Clear Epoxy Resin
This jewelry-grade epoxy resin is quite an amazing quality for jewelry. The set comes in two 8-ounce tubs, including a hardener and a resin, which you can mix together before pouring.
This resin is great for beginners because it is quite forgiving – you don’t need to mix exactly equal amounts of each component to get the desired effect (although you should not be off by more than 10 percent).
Once the mixture is ready, you can take up to 40 minutes to pour the resin, and it will cure in up to 14 hours. The resin will dry flat and release any bubbles while curing.
Once dry, this resin will be highly durable but elegant, with a transparent and smooth finish. It even has a UV inhibitor, which will prevent the resin from sun damage after some use, so the resin will never lose its colors and transparency even after some time.
We recommend this resin because of how beginner-friendly it is to mix and pour. You don’t need to be quite precise while mixing the resin, and you have plenty of time to adjust your design before the resin hardens. This resin is a great option if you love experimenting with your design, and it will produce long-lasting pieces that are quite beautiful.
5. PEBEO Gedeo Glazing Resin
The Gedeo Clear Glazing Resin is a beautifully glossy resin that can add a touch of elegance to every piece of jewelry. This resin dries transparent, but its stiffness produces a domed finish, which makes it perfect for vintage-looking pendants and earrings. This type of stiff resin would work perfectly with both bezels and molds.
This low-odor resin is quite comfortable to work with, and it cures in a shorter time compared to other types of resin, which means your piece of jewelry is ready to use in just a few steps! Any bubbles that occur during mixing and pouring are released when the mixture cures, and the finish is quite glossy and beautiful.
This resin will maintain its transparency and color for a long time without yellowing, so you don’t have to worry about the quality of your piece. This is a perfect resin for small pieces, and you can get it in small quantities (45mL) or large quantities (300 mL) to make more pieces for your loved ones.
What’s unique about this resin formula is its formulation of environmentally-friendly, plant-derived materials, which makes it green and kind to the planet. If you are an environmentally conscious consumer, this resin is definitely the one for you!
6. AMAZING Epoxy Resin Kit
This epoxy resin kit produces a total of one gallon of resin – enough if you are running a small handmade jewelry business. Since this is quite a large quantity of resin, you need to be quite a professional in measuring, mixing, and pouring the resin.
This epoxy resin has a very low odor, so it is quite easy and comfortable to work with. It takes up to 72 hours to cure after pouring, and it cures into a flat and amazingly glossy finish.
While the resin looks crystal clear when dried, it won’t yellow and is quite durable and even scratch-resistant, which is perfect to create jewelry that stays fresh after a long time. This is a very high-quality resin that produces an illusion of depth and sophistication to your jewelry artwork.
Since this resin is a bit thicker than other types of resin, you will need to take extra care in mixing the resin and the hardener well in order to get the desired results. You should pour the resin slowly in order to avoid any bubbles and allow the thick texture to work for you instead of against you.
7. TotalBoat Thickset Deep Pour Epoxy Kit
This thickset deep pour epoxy is formulated a little differently from the rest since it uses a 3:1 mix ratio of resin and hardener. When you work, measure three parts of resins mixed with one part hardener and mix well to get the correct mixture for pouring.
This low-odor formula makes it quite easy to stomach since the quantity is quite large, making it perfect for small business owners who need to make resin jewelry in bulk. This resin produces a flat and high gloss surface, which perfectly encapsulates and highlights your artworks inside the resin.
This resin takes up to 72 hours to cure, and once dry, it is waterproof and highly durable. The epoxy is BPA-free, so it is quite safe against your skin should you make pendants or earrings.
This beautiful resin is a great choice for making larger pieces of jewelry since it has a consistency that allows you to pour thicker layers of resin. It is quite strong and will maintain its look for a long time without yellowing, so you can rest assured that your piece will be long-lasting.
Up Next: How To Make Resin Jewelry Without Molds
