GetCrafty Craft Facts

Q: I have what I know is going to sound like a silly question. I usually use plain old round serrated, or plain edged crimps on my pieces. The other day, I purchased some faceted crimps (3mm). I tried crimping one shut, but it broke in half. Is there a special way to crimp this type? I feel like such a dork for asking this question, but I can't figure out how to keep these from breaking. Does anyone else know what I am talking about?

A: I hear that all the non-smooth crimp beads are more likely to break, and to break the underlying wire. I use smooth tube crimps. The items I bought are listed as "crimps" in the catalog. They are sterling silver. They look like a 3mm round bead that is faceted. However, they are designated as "crimps" and are listed with the other crimp beads in the catalog. I haven't seen these items anywhere else. They aren't listed with the regular sterling silver beads. I have no problem using them as regular spacers, but if I can find out how they are supposed to crimp, it seems like they would look especially nice. If they cannot be crimped, oh well!!! They have been working nicely as spacers in my bracelets.