I just bought, but have not used, the Revere pliers. Got them from Rio Grande. To see the price you might have to sign in, but the set of 4 is $129.00; the round-nose pliers are $33.50. Alan Revere has a jewelry academy in San Francisco and had the pliers specially designed in Germany. He removed the springs (as mentioned even by another person using pliers); he also intentionally does not have plastic coating on the handles.
http://www.riogrande.com/Search/revere-pliers
The description: "Designed by renowned goldsmith Alan Revere, the Revere line of pliers are made in Germany and modeled after the traditional European jeweler’s pliers. This superior round-nose plier is sure to satisfy even the most discriminating jeweler. Available individually or as part of a kit."
More details:
http://www.revereacademy.com/shop/revere-pliers/