Jewelry findings are the small parts and pieces used in the manufacture and assembly of jewelry. There are many small, standardized parts that are used so often that it's often not economical to make them every time they are needed. There is a whole industry devoted to manufacturing and selling them within the jewelry industry.

There is no real division of what parts are necessarily considered findings, but a wide variety of parts might be considered such.
Elements considered findings include:

Settings for stonesetting

Stonesetting

Stonesetting is the art of securely setting or attaching gemstones into jewelry. Stonesetting can also be used in referring to setting a stone or orb believed to have magical properties into a staff.-Cabochon and facet:...

. Although it's often necessary to custom make settings, there are thousands of varieties, shapes and sizes available for sale. Often the ready made version is appropriate and economical to use.

Clasps

Fastener

A fastener is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together.Fasteners can also be used to close a container such as a bag, a box, or an envelope; or they may involve keeping together the sides of an opening of flexible material, attaching a lid to a container,...

  See the photo for an example of a clasp. In addition to whole clasps, there are findings for the parts of clasps should they need repair.

Earwire

Earwire

An earwire is a bow of wire, looped to fasten an earring to a pierced ear. It is generally made of precious metal or hypoallergenic surgical steel. Earwires are available commercially, as jewelry findings, but some jewelers make their own...

s and all manner of ready made earrings and earring parts.

Wedding bands, ring shanks and simple engagement rings of all sorts and sizes.

Bails

Bail (jewelry)

A bail is a component of certain types of jewelry, mostly necklaces, that is used to attach a pendant or stone. The bail is normally placed in the center of the necklace where the pendant hangs....

, loops and jump rings

Jump rings

Jump rings are rings used to make chains, jewelry and chainmaille. They are made by wrapping wire round a mandrel to make a coil and then cutting the coil with wire cutters to make individual rings. The rings can then be assembled one by one into chains, earings, objects such as bowls or...

, which can be simple or complex parts for hanging pendants, charms and other such items.

Pin stems and brooch assemblies, used for making pins and brooches.

In addition there are thousands of miscellaneous items, such as tuxedo stud findings, letters of the alphabet, cluster settings of all sorts, metal beads and balls, stringing supplies and a wide variety of parts that the jeweler may find useful.

Though they may not strictly be considered findings, most suppliers also carry metal stock, sizing stock, solders, tubing and other items jewelers use on a day-to-day basis. Almost all findings are available in some form or another in all of the commonly used jewelry metals: base metal

Base metal

In chemistry, the term base metal is used informally to refer to a metal that oxidizes or corrodes relatively easily, and reacts variably with diluted hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen. Examples include iron, nickel, lead and zinc...

s, sterling silver

Sterling silver

Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....

, and karat gold

Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

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