Jewelry Resin Buying Guide

Coating Resin
When you buy jewelry resin, keep in mind that different types of resin work well for different applications. Two popular brands of coating resin are Envirotex Lite and Colores.

Casting Resin
When you are using resin for casting, you can choose between polyurethane casting resin and polyester casting resin. I've tried both, and I really prefer polyurethane casting resin. Castin'Craft EasyCast Clear Casting Epoxy is the casting resin I like to use.

Making Molds
Making your own molds for jewelry casting is simple and opens up amazing design possibilities for making resin jewelry. Casting jewelry resin in commercial Resin Jewelry Molds can be a good starting point, but if you're serious about creating unique, marketable items, I really can't think of a good reason to limit yourself to using commercial molds.

My all time favorite mold making material, Smooth-On Oomoo 30 Silicone is liquid silicone rubber. I just love this stuff. A new batch of Oomoo delivered to my door always means a fun round of experimenting. Oomoo is easy to use and inexpensive, but, unfortunately, I have found it's not readily available in most craft or art supply stores, so I always order it online.

Most art or craft supply stores carry liquid latex for mold making (the kind you have to brush on in layers). Environmental Tech Mold Builder Liquid Rubber is the most common kind you'll find. I'm really not a big fan of liquid latex for mold making, I find it just takes forever to make a usable mold using liquid latex, and they're not as sturdy as molds made with Oomoo.

Mixing resin and hardener in exactly the right proportions is crucial for good results when making resin jewelry. You'll need small graduated mixing cups for mixing and measuring your resin. I'd recommend that you avoid buying these from art supply stores (you'll pay more than you have to). If you're mixing small amounts of resin, simply go to your local drugstore and ask for a package of medicine cups (the kind you use to measure cold medicine for young children), they're the same as the cups sold specifically for use with resin, but they're usually a lot less expensive at a drugstore.

You can also buy jewelry resin and commercial molds from a few sellers on eBay.

Additional Resources for Making Resin Jewelry
The Art of Resin Jewelry - Book Review