Tools of the trade-- Just a few...

18th Century French Combination tool Koller Auctions

Since before recorded history, people, mostly men, used hammers and fire to shape metals into pleasing shapes to be worn. Gold was sought after for it's beauty and rarity, set with gemstones, it was even more precious (though some historians say that gems were added to pieces to hide faults)

Many professions use hammers, saws, drills, hole punches. and files... Jewelry is no exception.  My own workbench is littered with a variety of pliers, hammers, drill bits, saws and measuring tools. I say littered... which is literal. I know people that keep their benches nice and neat... but mine is always a mess, and I know where everything is, and at hand.

No matter how expensive the tool, it is cherished and guarded. Especially tools that have highly polished surfaces... such as a chasing hammer... I won't allow any of my tools to be used for other than their original purpose... not necessarily their original purpose, but MY original use of them... I re-purpose many items to use in my workroom. Such as the Sad Iron that I use when texturing... I learned that from Kim StJean.  Or the Ball Hitch that is embedded into the stump that I use for hammering... I use that one for shaping, or the dowel that hangs on the stump... I use that as well for shaping. I guard them all, no matter how trivial or inexpensive, they are for workroom use only. 

I'm the same with scissors... never use fabric scissors on paper... ergh!
I keep several tools for one purpose only.  Never use tools for steel on anything else (cross contamination)... so... I have double of every tool I need... sometimes triple.. and quadruple. Some tools are universal, some are specific to one type of work, some people will never have need for watch repair tools, some can't live without them.  The tools of a jeweler are a wondrous assortment.
I employ tools like these listed.

OK, so there are more... I don't want to bore you with all of them, but I do want to say, I have more pliers than I do most other things... other than hammers... and files... OK, I admit... I have a problem with hoarding...tools...

Here are a few interesting sites to visit. They are full of information, whether historic or surmised, they are very good reads:
http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Ancient_Jewelry
http://www.damascenejewelry.net/blog/jewelry-history-ancient-roman-jewelry/
http://www.symboljewelry.org/index.html
http://www.fashion-era.com/jewellery.htm
http://www.bible-archaeology.info/jewelry.htm
http://www.ancient.eu/gold/