| Basic History of Wire Wrapping | | | | jewelry stone setting pliers) |
| Wire wrapping jewelry has been around for thousands | | | | - Flat nose pliers |
| of years. Ancient Romans, Sumerian's and many | | | | - Chain nose pliers |
| ancient peoples used wire wrapping to create jewelry. | | | | Additional tools: |
| Some of these methods date back to 2000 BC. | | | | These are not required but they do help in creating |
| There are examples of wire wrapped looped jewelry | | | | wire wrapped jewelry more efficiently.o Nylon jaw |
| in the British Museum as well as other well known | | | | pliers (straightening)o Step Jaw pliers (use to make |
| Mediterranean museums. | | | | coils, rings and jump rings)o Chain Nose pliers (also |
| Solder did not exist at that time; wire was the quickest | | | | called needle nose smooth pliers)o Chasing hammer |
| way to make components for jewelry as soldering did | | | | (hardening wire)o Bench Blocko Anvilo Files and/or |
| not exist. Later, as the technique for soldering | | | | Cup Bur (removing burs and rounding wires)o Wig jigo |
| developed (about 4000 years ago by the Egyptians | | | | Bent closing pliers (grooved jaws are made for closing |
| and then it spread within the Mediterranean), the wire | | | | wire wrapped loops)o Wire 16 ga, 18 ga, 20 ga, 22 ga, |
| wrapping approach continued because it was an | | | | 24 ga, 26 ga (in copper, silver and gold filledo Headpins, |
| economical and quick way to make jewelry | | | | clasps, ear wires, jump rings (although you can make |
| components out of wire. Due to simple economics | | | | your own)o Bead assortmento Mandrels (ring, bracelet, |
| wire wrapped jewelry is not mass produced. | | | | necklace, and so forth)o Viseo Jewelry files and |
| Machines can cast jewelry components faster than | | | | sandpapero Bead Mato Flat nose pliers |
| people can make the same types of items. Wire | | | | Cutting Wire: |
| wrapping jewelry by hand means you will be using the | | | | Always cut your wire with one of the following types |
| techniques developed thousands of years ago by | | | | of cuts to minimize a burr at the end of the wire.o |
| individual craftsmen and jewelry designers specializing | | | | Flush Cuto Pinch Cut |
| in this type of jewelry. The key differences between | | | | Bending Wire: |
| making jewelry by wire wrapping and other methods | | | | Use Bent chain nose pliers to hold wire while you are |
| are simply due to the fact that wire wrapped jewelry | | | | bending it. You may use Round Nose pliers but you |
| is: | | | | can actually hold the wire more easily if you use Bent |
| 1. Made of different gauges of wire and findings | | | | Nose pliers. Bend wire with your hands until it is at a |
| (head-pins, eye pins and so on) | | | | 90-degree angle. Bend the short piece facing away |
| 2. Created using connectors between components, | | | | from you over the top of round nose pliers. Completely |
| without soldering or any other heat to fuse them | | | | push the wire around until it is in the same position as |
| together. | | | | whence you began (pointing away from you). Then |
| Learn the basic skills to: | | | | switch to bend nose pliers, gripping the loop and |
| Wire wrap, make basic jewelry repairs, basic beading, | | | | twisting the wire (short end) around the base of the |
| making earring components, making bracelets, making | | | | loop, twist it two times. Clip the excess and file the end |
| clasps, using a jig, making cages for gems, making wire | | | | and tuck it in. Add bead and make an eye loop on the |
| wrapped rings, making wire wrapped pendants, | | | | other end following same process to wrap the wire. |
| explore the wire wrapped jewelry business. | | | | Basic Loops: |
| Medium | | | | These are the basic loops you will use while making |
| Here are a few of the types of wire you will be using | | | | wire wrapped jewelry and which can be used to |
| in wire wrapping as you become more familiar with the | | | | make beaded earrings, necklaces and bracelets. |
| skills, techniques and methods. You should experiment | | | | Basic loops:o P Loop (Round Nose pliers)o P Loop |
| with different types of wire, different gauges and learn | | | | (Step Jaw pliers)o Eye Loop (Round Nose pliers)o |
| to use dead soft wire as well as half-hard and | | | | Wire wrapped loopo Making dangle loops (with a |
| hard-wire for your wire wrapped creations.o Dead | | | | bead)o Making connectors (figure 8)o Modified |
| Softo Half Hardo Hard | | | | connectors (modified figure 8) |
| Common Shapes of Wire:o Roundo Squareo Half | | | | Frequently, the connections between wire components |
| Roundo And so forth | | | | will include a bead on the wire connector. Most glass |
| There are so many types of "silver" around these | | | | beads (but not all) have a hole that is 1 mm in size. This |
| days, it can be impossible to tell what is what. Fine | | | | will accommodate 20-gauge wire, but it will not |
| silver is both an element and a mineral. On the Mohs | | | | accommodate 18-gauge wire. Some glass beads, |
| scale of hardness, it ranks as a 2 to 3. Silver deposits | | | | freshwater pearls and some gemstone beads will |
| are all over the world in places such as Australia, | | | | have smaller holes and will require wire smaller than 20 |
| Canada, Chile, Mexico, Norway, and United States. | | | | gauge. (The largest wire that can go through the |
| Cultures that love to show off their creativity in silver | | | | beads is what will work best with the beads chosen. |
| include Burma, India, Middle East, North America and | | | | This is because, beads and gemstones are much |
| Tibet. | | | | harder than the wire and will saw into the wire over |
| You will add dimension to your creations by including of | | | | time, so thicker wire will last longer as will harder wire.) |
| any one of the following in your design:o Twistingo | | | | Larger wire is more difficult to work with, it requires |
| Braidingo Use of different thicknesses and shapeso | | | | different techniques to learn to manipulate. Wire that is |
| Antiquing | | | | 16 gauge and larger (actually smaller gauge) is harder |
| Use of the following in your jewelry will add pizzazz to | | | | to work with and to bend for beginners. Start with |
| your jewelry creations:o Coiling wire into beadso | | | | Copper wire, it is inexpensive and easy to manipulate. It |
| Making springso Wrapping beads with wireo Use of | | | | is best to learn your skills with copper wire, as it is very |
| beadso Use of faceted gems for wire wrapping | | | | malleable and forgiving then move on toward silver, |
| Be creative in your designs, as anything goes in wire | | | | which can break more easily and can be more brittle. |
| wrapping jewelry. Whether you wear the items, design | | | | After mastering copper and silver you will move into |
| the creations to be given away as gifts or sold as an | | | | other metals such as gold filled and so on. Finally, you |
| addition to your line of jewelry do pay a bit of attention | | | | will move onto the more difficult thicker gauges of |
| to the details (as these creations will last a very long | | | | wires after you have mastered the basic wire |
| time if a little attention to detail is included). | | | | wrapping skills. |
| Basic Tools: | | | | These skills will not only save you money, which will |
| Wire wrapping requires the use of several tools, below | | | | save you thousands over your lifetime and create |
| is a listing of basic tools you will need and finally the | | | | jewelry at a fraction of the cost when compared to |
| additional tools you will want to add to your collection | | | | retail prices. It will also provide an avenue to pay for |
| - Round nose pliers | | | | your own jewelry and gifts to give to friends and |
| - Flush cutter | | | | family and easily make a profit if you chose to build |
| - Bent Nose pliers (also called "bent chain nose pliers" | | | | your own niche type of jewelry business. |