Resin (both UV and Epoxy) is one of the most fashionable materials for handcrafted jewelry, key chains and small ornaments.

With the resin we can elaborate all kinds of elements using a silicone mold Rings, key rings, key rings, pendants, earrings... all kinds of small details!

Although its appearance is similar to plastic at first, resin is much thicker and stronger.

Are you thinking of getting started in the resin jewelry We tell you the basics about resin types and how to use them!

UV Resin and Epoxy: Differences, Advantages and Disadvantages

UV resin is the resin that is cured with ultraviolet light. It is resistant and is quite easy to handle.

The advantages of UV resin include its drying time, which is faster than that of epoxy resin, since if we use a UV resin, it will dry faster than epoxy resin. flashlight or ultraviolet light lamp we can have a small object (earrings, key rings...) dry in a couple of minutes.

If left to air dry, a small/medium piece will take a few hours. Does not require mixing with different components beyond some colorant or pigment if we want to give color to our piece.

Ultraviolet light lanterns for UV resin curing.

The main drawback of UV resin is its price, since it comes in quite small quantities and as a percentage of the total price. much more expensive .

Epoxy resin, on the other hand, does require a mixture of two products: the resin itself and the hardener or catalyst which are generally mixed in equal parts.

Epoxy resin can be purchased in larger jars as it is also used to make furniture pieces.

This type of resin air dries without lamps or lanterns, so it dries in hours. We can also find fast drying epoxy resin The faster the drying time, the more expensive it will be.

What products do I need to make resin jewelry?

These are the main materials we will need to elaborate any resin element:

- A smooth and firm surface

- Silicone tablecloth (so as not to stain the table or board where we work)

- Latex gloves

- Silicone molds

- Silicone mixing cups (measuring and simple)

- Utensils for handling the resin: metal, plastic or wooden sticks and spoons

- Pipette to remove bubbles

- Heat gun (optional, but good idea to remove bubbles)

- Flashlight or UV light lamp (in case of UV resin)

- Hooks and beads (depending on what we are going to do: Bracelets, earrings...)

- Ornaments: Glitter, flowers...

- Tweezers (if we are going to use very small parts)

- Pigments and glitter

It is it is essential to work in ventilated areas The resin smells quite strong.

Resin jewelry kit from Amazon.

How to remove bubbles?

Bubbles are one of the most frequent problems when working with resin.

Bubbles will always come out, more or less, when we deposit the mixture in the molds.

To remove them, in addition to stirring them well and dragging them to the ends, we can use a pipette with which to absorb bubbles although a better result is achieved if we apply heat with a gun .

What to do so that it does not become sticky?

To prevent the resin from becoming sticky, the best way is to sand the part to remove that sticky surface layer.

After sanding, our piece will be matte. If you want to recover the brightness, once sanded, gently apply a metal cleaning cream.