Wire wrap jewellery

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Wire wrap jewelry is a type of design and method of hand jewelry fabrication. Wire wrap is a hand fabricated method of jewelry design and creation. It involves the use of tools to bind and twist wires together. Some of the tools used include pliers, pin vise, Swiss pattern file, wire cutters, ring mandrel, and a scale. Plier types include bent nose, flat nose, round nose, and chain nose, depending upon the look you are trying to achieve. Jewelry wire comes in many shapes, such as round, square, half round, triangular, flat, or patterned. Although square wire is used for many items, half round is used for wrapping ring shanks. Round wire is used for earring findings and bead rings. The wire metal type can be brass, copper, fine silver, sterling silver, karated gold, or gold-filled (brass core with karated gold on the surface). The gauge of wire refers to the thickness, which varies from 8-gauge (thick) to 26-gauge (thin).

Some of the basic techniques include twisting the wire, wrapping a wire bundle, crimping or flattening the wrap, scrolling, and shaping. All of these techniques are visible on the example shown to the right.

This jewelry making technique is possible to learn and perform in home studios because the needed tools are simple. It does not involve the use of solder, fire, chemicals, or complicated machinery. Advantages of this technique are unlimited design possibilities, fast turnaround from the design inception to jewelry completion, and the ability to incorporate any shape or finish of any material from gemstone to pottery shards.

[edit] Uses for Wire Work

Quite important is the ability to create your own findings (eyepins, headpins, jumprings, earring hooks, etc.) with materials at hand, aka wire. Many of these findings in precious metals can be cost prohibitive but by creating them from scratch from wire it becomes very affordable.

Different gauges of wire are used for different purposes. Thinner gauge is used to secure larger wire sculpted shapes into place. For earring wires, the standard gauge is 24 - 18 gauge with 22 being the most standard of gauge for earring pins and earring hooks. Creating bracelets or necklaces with wire requires some planning before creating the project due to the risk of getting caught and pulled, especially for a bracelet. The thinner gauges, no smaller than 22 gauge, can be used but recommended with a wrapped loop (looks like a hangman's noose) for added security. Larger gauges are better such as 18 - 12 gauges and are secure enough using the basic loop technique.

Larger gauges, such as 14 up, also create other problems given that most holes in beads are too small.

[edit] External links

[edit] Artists

• Eni Oken
• Heady Wraps
• Jatayu (Connie Fox)
• NikkiQ
• Studio Heath