Prices checked Nov 13, 2026. No. 1 today: Pepetools Helix Starter KitHelix Kit, 9.6/10.See the ranking

Our No. 1: Pepetools Helix Starter Kit
Two hands fastening the clasp of a fine chain
10 beginner picks, ranked Nov 13, 2026

Best permanent jewelry welders for beginners

Only products with eye protection in the box and a 3-year warranty, then training counts for 30%: the Everlinx Starter Kit comes first.

No. 1 here: Everlinx Starter Kit9.4/10Excellent · $2,999 at Everlinx, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at Everlinx
Photo: Zulfugar Karimov / Unsplash

For beginners: the 10 beginner picks, in order

How this order is built

Ranked on the "First welder" weights. Each product keeps its one overall score.

Best overallStarter kit

Everlinx Starter Kit

$2,9999.4/10Excellent

Best for first-timers who want a full course and a screen that darkens, without argon.

  • 0.5–20 J
  • Auto-darkening screen
  • Online course
  • 27 ft of chain
  • EVERSHIELD in the box: a screen that dims for each weld
  • Full course in the Everlinx app, ICOES accredited, says the brand
  • Welder starts at 0.5 joule and moves in half-joule steps

The catch: Returning it is costly: $750 non-refundable, $150 restocking, return shipping on you, so about $900 gone. No argon is included if you later decide you want it. The welder tops out at 20 joules. And no safety certification is named on the pages we read.

$2,999 at Everlinx, checked November 13, 2026
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Starter kit

Sunstone Dream Kit

$3,199$4,265.339.5/10Excellent

Best for beginners who want a mentor, a course and argon in one order.

  • 1–30 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Course + mentoring
  • 27 ft of chain
  • One-on-one mentoring on top of Sunstone's online course
  • Zapp Plus 2 inside: 1 to 30 joules, 1.9 lb, 72-inch stylus
  • 27 ft of chain, jump rings and 24 connectors in a display case

The catch: Eye protection is shade 5 glasses, where two rival kits include a screen that darkens. It costs $800 more than the Helix kit and $200 more than Everlinx's. Colored finishes push it up to $3,308. Returns cost 10%, about $320.

$3,199 at Sunstone, checked November 13, 2026
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Best priceStarter kit

Pepetools Helix Starter Kit

$2,399$3,3009.6/10Excellent

Best for most people opening a permanent jewelry business who have someone to learn from.

  • 1–30 J
  • Auto-darkening screen
  • 30-min live session
  • 25 ft of chain
  • Folding darkening screen with magnification, plus two pairs of glasses
  • Helix welder: 1 to 30 joules, 72-inch reach, 2 lb, dual voltage
  • 25 ft of gold-filled chain, 100 sterling and 100 gold-filled jump rings, 14 connectors

The catch: Training is a single 30-minute Zoom call, the thinnest of the six kits. It's a sale price, and the page showed "limited stock" that day. Pepetools can charge a restocking fee of up to 25% "in some instances", and the precious-metal chain can't be returned. No argon in the box.

$2,399 at Pepetools, checked November 13, 2026
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Starter kit

Sunstone Legacy Kit

$4,999$5,951.198.9/10Very good

Best for studios that will do repairs and want Sunstone's top welder from day one.

  • 1–30 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Course + mentoring
  • 45 ft of chain
  • Orion mPulse inside: touchscreen, half-joule steps up to 15 joules
  • 45 ft of chain: the most of any kit we compare
  • Four Argon Mini tanks and a regulator

The catch: It's the most expensive product in our list, and $1,800 more than a Dream kit with the same training. Eye protection is still shade 5 glasses. Sunstone doesn't publish the mPulse's weight. A 10% restocking fee on a return is about $500.

$4,999 at Sunstone, checked November 13, 2026
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Starter kit

Sunstone Momentum Kit

$2,399$3,427.148.8/10Very good

Best for starting inside Sunstone's training system for the least money.

  • 3–10 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Online course
  • 21 ft of chain
  • PJ University: Sunstone's online video training and business resources
  • Argon included: two Argon Mini tanks and a regulator
  • 21 ft of certified chain and jump rings to start selling

The catch: The welder is the Zapp: 3 to 10 joules, the narrowest range we list, and you can't upgrade it inside the kit. Eye protection is glasses, not a screen. No one-on-one mentoring at this level. And if you return it, Sunstone keeps 10%, about $240, paid back by check.

$2,399 at Sunstone, checked November 13, 2026
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Best welder on its ownWelder only

Everlinx EVERARC + EVERSHIELD

$1,749$1,8999.2/10Excellent

Best for anyone buying a welder alone who wants to see the weld without dark glasses.

  • 0.5–20 J
  • Auto-darkening screen
  • Manual + support
  • 3 lb
  • EVERSHIELD: a screen that dims before each weld, mounted on the stylus
  • 0.5 to 20 joules in half-joule steps
  • 3-year warranty on the welder and on the EVERSHIELD

The catch: "Training Not Included", says the bundle page: you get a manual. The range stops at 20 joules. Everlinx names no safety certification on the pages we read. And the screen protects the person holding the stylus; your client still needs to look away or wear glasses.

$1,749 at Everlinx, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

Pepetools Helix

$1,499$1,9999.1/10Excellent

Best for the best price on a 30-joule welder with glasses and a 3-year warranty.

  • 1–30 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Manual + support
  • 2 lb
  • 1 to 30 joules for $1,499 on sale: the widest range under $1,500
  • 72 inches from the body to the electrode tip, billet aluminum stylus
  • 2 lb, dual voltage, steel stylus stand in the box

The catch: The price is a sale price: without it, the Helix costs more than a Zapp Plus 2. Steps are a full joule. Pepetools' refund policy allows a restocking fee of up to 25% "in some instances", the stiffest wording we read. And the darkening screen is a $449 to $499 extra.

$1,499 at Pepetools, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

Sunstone Zapp Plus 2

$1,6999.0/10Excellent

Best for artists who want one light Sunstone welder they won't outgrow.

  • 1–30 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Manual + support
  • 1.9 lb
  • 1 to 30 joules: low enough for fine chain, high enough for thicker rings
  • 1.9 lb and about 13 by 15 by 7 cm: the lightest welder we compare
  • 72-inch removable stylus, so you can seat the client where the light is good

The catch: Steps are a full joule, where the EVERARC and the Orion mPulse move by half. Eye protection is a pair of shaded glasses: an auto-darkening lens is an extra $312 or $510 at Sunstone. There's no course in the price, and returns cost 10%.

$1,699 at Sunstone, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

Sunstone Zapp

$1,2498.5/10Very good

Best for a first welder on a tight budget, if you'll only close small jump rings.

  • 3–10 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Manual + support
  • 3-year warranty
  • One dial, eight settings (3 to 10 joules): hard to set badly wrong on your first day
  • Shaded safety glasses, a ground clip and a metal practice card are in the box
  • 3-year warranty, and Sunstone answers by phone and text from the US

The catch: The range starts at 3 joules and stops at 10. You can't go lower for very fine chain, and there's no headroom for thicker rings. Sunstone's page doesn't state the welder's weight or the stylus length. And a return costs you 10%, refunded by check.

$1,249 at Sunstone, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

Sunstone Orion mPulse

$3,1998.6/10Very good

Best for studios that also do bench work and want Sunstone's finest control.

  • 1–30 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Manual + support
  • 3-year warranty
  • Half-joule steps from 1 to 15 joules: the finest control in Sunstone's range
  • Touchscreen interface and what Sunstone calls "Tru-Fire" technology
  • 72-inch stylus, front-facing ports and three ground ports

The catch: Price, mostly. It costs nearly twice a Zapp Plus 2 for the same 30-joule ceiling and the same glasses-only eye protection. Sunstone doesn't state its weight on the page we read, so it's missing from our pop-up ranking. No course is included, and a return costs 10%, about $320.

$3,199 at Sunstone, checked November 13, 2026
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The first six, side by side

Open the comparison tool
Best permanent jewelry welders for beginners: comparison table
Product
Everlinx Starter Kit9.4/10$2,999 · Nov 13, 2026
Sunstone Dream Kit9.5/10$3,199 · Nov 13, 2026
Pepetools Helix Starter Kit9.6/10$2,399 · Nov 13, 2026
Sunstone Legacy Kit8.9/10$4,999 · Nov 13, 2026
Sunstone Momentum Kit8.8/10$2,399 · Nov 13, 2026
Everlinx EVERARC + EVERSHIELD9.2/10$1,749 · Nov 13, 2026
What you getStarter kitStarter kitStarter kitStarter kitStarter kitWelder only
Power range0.5–20 J1–30 J1–30 J1–30 J3–10 J0.5–20 J
Eye protection in the boxAuto-darkening screenShaded glassesAuto-darkening screenShaded glassesShaded glassesAuto-darkening screen
Training in the priceOnline courseCourse + mentoring30-min live sessionCourse + mentoringOnline courseManual + support
Chain included27 ft27 ft25 ft45 ft21 ftNone (welder only)
Welder weight3 lb1.9 lb2 lbNot statedNot stated3 lb
Warranty3-year3-year3-year3-year3-year3-year
Where to buyCheck price at Everlinx Check price at Sunstone Check price at Pepetools Check price at Sunstone Check price at Sunstone Check price at Everlinx

✓ marks the best figure of the row. "Not stated" means the brand doesn't publish it. Each product keeps its one overall score; this page only changes the order. Prices checked November 13, 2026.

Hard to choose?

Compare the top 3

What to know before you choose

Your first welder has a different job from your third. It has to keep you safe while you're clumsy, forgive a wrong setting, and come with a person or a course you can lean on when the ring won't close at 9 pm before your first pop-up.

So this list starts with two filters. Eye protection has to be in the box, because a beginner shouldn't be sent shopping for the right shade number. And the warranty has to run 3 years, because you'll make your mistakes in the first one. That removes five products. The ten that remain are re-ordered with training counting for 30% and eye protection for 20%.

The Everlinx Starter Kit comes first on those weights: a full accredited course in an app, a screen that darkens for each weld, and a welder that starts at half a joule, for $2,999. The Sunstone Dream Kit is second with one-on-one mentoring and argon in the box. If $2,999 is out of reach, the Pepetools Helix Starter Kit at $2,399 gives you the screen and the chain, with only a 30-minute lesson. Each keeps its one overall score; this page only changes the order.

How this ranking is weighted

Every product keeps its overall score from the public formula. For this page we re-order the eligible products with the "First welder" weights: training and support in the price 30%, eye protection in the box 20%, price 15%, warranty 15%, and the rest for the other 4 criteria. The full table is on the methodology page.

Head-to-heads between products of this list: Sunstone Zapp Plus 2 vs Sunstone Zapp, Sunstone Zapp Plus 2 vs Sunstone Orion mPulse, Pepetools Helix vs Sunstone Zapp, Pepetools Helix vs Sunstone Zapp Plus 2, Everlinx EVERARC + EVERSHIELD vs Pepetools Helix, Sunstone Dream Kit vs Sunstone Momentum Kit.

Other rankings: permanent jewelry welders, all ranked, permanent jewelry kit, permanent jewelry machine, cheap permanent jewelry welder, mobile permanent jewelry.

Joule ranges, weights and warranty terms are each brand's own figures. This page helps you buy equipment: it isn't safety, legal or financial advice, and it promises no income. Read your welder's manual and protect your eyes on every weld.

By Sienna Blake, editor, permanent jewelry equipment · updated November 13, 2026

Guides that go with this ranking

All guides

For beginners: questions buyers ask

More answers in our guides
What is the best permanent jewelry welder for beginners?
On our beginner weights, the Everlinx Starter Kit (9.4/10): a full course, a darkening screen and a welder that starts at 0.5 joule, for $2,999 on November 13, 2026. As a welder alone, the Everlinx EVERARC + EVERSHIELD (9.2/10).
Is permanent jewelry welding hard to learn?
The motion is simple; the judgment takes practice. LINKED describes its course as "about 7 to 8 hours of video across 21 modules", and Sunstone and Everlinx both say their programs are ICOES accredited. Plan a few evenings of practice on scrap chain before you weld on a paying client.
Do you need a certification to do permanent jewelry?
A certificate from a brand's course is not a government license: it shows you followed that brand's training. What your state and city require to sell and to work on clients is a separate question, and it varies. The SBA's page on licenses and permits is the place to start; your city clerk has the local answer.
How many joules should a beginner use?
Your welder's manual has a settings chart by metal and ring gauge: start there, on scrap rings, before any client. We don't publish settings, because they depend on the machine, the metal and the ring. A range that starts low and moves in small steps gives you more room to find the right one.
Should a beginner buy the cheapest welder?
Not the cheapest machine, no. The $300 class ships without eye protection, a joule scale or a course, which are the three things a beginner needs most. If budget is tight, the Sunstone Zapp ($1,249) and the Pepetools Helix ($1,499) both include shaded glasses and 3 years of warranty.

Not sure which welder fits? Ask Sienna

[email protected]

Tell her where you'll weld (salon chair, market stall, parties), what you already own and your budget. She'll point you to two or three welders or kits from the ranking, with the reasons. We answer within two working days. We can't give legal, tax or safety advice: your state, your insurer and your welder's manual have the last word.