More wire wrapping practice

I had some free time this afternoon and I was bored to read, so I decided to play with wire a bit more. This time going back to wire wrapping with thin gauge wire (0.4-0.5mm) as this is definitely not one of my strengths.
Finished this piece and although I'm not particularly happy with, I'll keep at it until I will get the hang of it. That's one of my New Year resolutions anyway.
Speaking of wire wrapping, I was drolling the whole afternoon over this page I just discovered yesterday. When I grow up, I wanna be just as good as them...

Last piece in 2007 - Happy New Year!

After almost two day's work, I've finished the Olivia bracelet. It is based on the Olivia chainmail weave, hence the name. Single units of byzantine are linked together - in my case with larger rings - to form the bracelet. For clasp I made a herringbone wrapped ruby. All sterling silver.
I will probably wear it tonight for the New Year's Eve, we're going with hubby out of town to a restaurant where he proposed me exactly 8 years ago *blush*.

My journey into making a silver chainmail bracelet...from scratch

I've been asked a few times why chainmail jewelry is so expensive. For a silver bracelet in various weaves a chainmailer can charge up to $100 or more (or 80-100 Euros if in Europe).
Also I have friends in Cyprus who have absolutely no idea how this type of jewelry comes to be about. No wonder. Two years ago for me 'chainmail' only ment the armor wore by European soldiers in the Middle Ages.

My bracelet today will be in the Byzantine weave, a beautiful weave designed for jewelry. This is the final design.

This piece took me pretty much the whole day - except the time I prepared and had lunch, and had a cake and coffee with hubby.



First step - coil the wire. Set up the coiling equipment and start coiling. I actually enjoy this process as it doesn't take long and it's quite relaxing...







Finished coiling. Hm...it could have been neater...oh well, next time...
The coils are rather small as the mandrel is not large enough. It takes approximately 1.5 m of wire (1mm wire on 3.5mm mandrel).






Next step, cutting the coil into single rings... I'm using a jewelry saw which is relatively easy but also slow to work with. But it cuts the rings neatly flush.
And don't forget the finger protection as it's very easy to go with the saw through the fingers...ouch.
Half of my rings have been cut. A small break and then continue...




Finally, all my rings in this batch are cut. Took a while...
Paper is full of rings, silver powder and candle powder. Why candle? The saw needs a lubricant, and beeswax is just right for it.
Have a ton of candles at home, so I took one to use with my saw.
Now rings need to be cleaned nicely and then the jewelry weaving can begin... I don't have (yet) a tumbler, so I'm cleaning the silver with water and soap. Tumbler and stainless steel shot is already ordered, it should come within the next 2-3 weeks...


Approximately 100 rings in that cup yielded by the mandrel size.
Nice, clean and shiny. No idea yet how many I will need for my Byzantine bracelet, so I'll finish these up before making more rings.









And here are the first two segments of my Byzantine bracelet using the rings just cut and cleaned.








Hm...finished up all the rings, and I hardly have half of the bracelet done...
Which means off to coil and cut some more...but in the meantime for a break I wrapped this beautiful lampwork bead (made by an American artisan), as I intend to use it with the bracelet.



Here is my second coil. This one is beautifully uniform and all!




.....after cutting the second coil in rings (another batch of - give or take - 100 rings) and weaving in with the rest of the bracelet, tada...I present you The Bracelet...









Hm, on second thought...I don't like where the bead is...so after undoing that part, here is the final (hopefully) version of it with a nicer clasp and a small extension chain as well...

Now just to take a nicer picture of it and it should be done...






And based on Laura's input, I modified it yet again to make the beadie a clasp... (picture is at the top of the posting). Oh and yes, the silver clasp is also handmade by me, done in one of my small breaks from cutting and weaving silver. How to do that is a matter for a future post.

I did it!

Finally, after at least 6 months, I cut my own jumprings with a jeweller's saw. Here is the very first batch I did, which I ended up not using much, as the didn't come out the best. Nevertheless here they are for historical purposes *grins*.





Today I cut again with the correct size blades (2.0) and made this double-spiral bracelet as well. I can now safely say this bracelet is 100% handmade, lol.
Wire 1mm with 5mm mandrel, which means an AR of 5. Seems just perfect for this weave.
Up until now I couldn't get the AR for the life of me. I was reading on various websites, forums on how to calculate, without success. Now that I cut my own jumprings, I'm shaking my head in wonder as how easy it is to figure it out. Just divide the inside diameter (the inside of the 'donut' if you want) by the wire thickness. Dohh...

And with the remaining rings a small pair of mobius earrings...

Tiger heart

In honour of the human heart, which is basically kind and loving, here is a silver pendant I finished just now. The stone is tiger-eye.
I've just discovered this type of wrapping and I love it! Also figured out something that I can improve on the criss-cross wrapping. Will do it with the next piece.
I am quite proud because this is my own design, starting from the shaping of the heart to the way I wrapped the piece.

On human behaviour and perceptions

So I wake up this morning full of energy knowing that I'm still at home, on holidays, and will be able to practice wire wrapping, and just feeling great in general. Before anything else, hop over to the computer to see what emails I got from friends (if any), and I see a new comment on my blog. Usually these comments are either from fellow jewelry making or book lover friends, or simply from people stumbling upon my blog. Big was my disappointing surprise to discover a comment on my Merry Christmas post, with no heads or tails, not Christmas wishes or any traces of human kindness, which simply pointed out that I - according to him - made a grave mistake with regards to my current location. I know the Cypriot issue is a big issue around these parts (the Northern side is still occupied by the Turks, etc, etc), but I started thinking of why this particular post got me down right first thing in the morning, effectively destroying my good mood for the day. I realized that it was not the actual comment, regarding the political issue, but the way it was put. First of all, it was written on my Merry Christmas post, which I found a bit rude - why? because it defied the basic human kindness. No Merry Christmas in return, no 'Hello, hey you have a great blog there, or nice jewelry, but btw, could you please change the reference to xyz...'etc etc.
Then upon further contemplating on the issue, while my coffee was getting ready, I figured, if I let such a post get me down, it's bad, as the person achieved exactly what he wanted - making my day miserable, probably based on his own day. Pitty but true that there are some people who nit-pick on everything, who criticize without the basic courtesy offered to their fellow human, even these times of joy and laughter, when we should all be united in the Christmas spirit.
And now off to have my breakfast, drink my hot coffee and simply enjoy my holiday :)
Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Between cooking, having one of hubby's relatives for Christmas lunch and then going to some other relatives in the afternoon, I managed to make two more pendants today. Just practice pieces but I love particularly the second. It's from a tutorial by Remy (Dkheath). I think I won't oxidize this one, as it looks so neat with the purple stone (much nicer than the picture), it really shines through.

Link to a forum : Pink Diamond Ring

26/11/2007 (11 posts)

First comment from this forum :

"I have wanted a pink for a long time now and my anniversary is coming up, my husband always gets me what I want. So my question is where should I get my pink? Anybody have any suggestions? I want a nice stone and it must be certified, I live in California, but I will consider online purchases too. Thanks guys.

Annie"

see this forum at :
http://www.jewelryforum.net/forum/showthread.php?t=575

Wire practice and oxidizing with LOS

So I went out today and bought fine steel wool and I gave LOS another shot. I think this time I had more success with it, particularly due to the steel wool, which is just great! You can actually select what to become ligher and shinier and what remains darker from LOS.
Also I've practiced some more wire wrapping. Not a very good result, but I did say this week is for practicing, not for making jewelry for sale. And I've learned a few things in the process. Plus I had this idea in my head which I wanted to try out. Now I know what I'll do the next time I try the same thing.
And of course, I've oxidized it as well, just for the fun of it.

Wire wrapping

I felt like wire wrapping a bit, so I made this silver amazonite pendant, about 4cm in diameter. I find wrapping around the core quite relaxing. It takes quite a bit of wire, but I love it. I remembered why I started to work with silver and semiprecious stones in the first place. Because of wire wrapping. Being so busy lately with making jewelry to sell for the holidays, I lost track of enjoying learning and getting better at wrapping techniques.
Next week I'm on holidays from work (thank god for small favours), so I will take the time to get myself more advanced in this art form. With no rush for other things, I will have all the time to just do what I like to do best.

Necklace for mom

In about two weeks I am going to visit my parents, who are living currently in Hungary. I haven't seen my mom for almost two years, so I wanted to make her a jewelry gift. I know she likes green, so I though a turquoise and silver necklace should be something she might like. This is the result.

featured on Beadaholique customer gallery

I buy a lot of jewelry supplies at beadaholique.com and at some point I sent in my carnelian mask, as this is where I bought the gorgeous carnelian stone and the little silver beads from. While shopping at the site, I clicked on the customer gallery to see what's new, and there it is my carnelian mask, hehe.

New line - for the younger generation

I'm adding a new line to my Dawanda shop, a much more affordable jewelry line, for the younger ones (say highschool, college students, or young carreer starters). Basically it will be jewelry with less wire wrapping on it and instead of silver chain or semiprecious beads for necklace, I will use various faux leather cords. Less silver = less cost and work involved = cheaper prices.

The first one is a gorgeous carnelian heart with a silver bail and wrapping. The stone itself is so beautiful, it doesn't really need any additional enhancer. The clasps on the cord are sterling silver.

Hungry for psychical when physical not well

It's been already a week since I last poster here. I got the flu so I've been sort of out of synchr during this time. I didn't have any mood to make jewelry, but instead I read 3 books on spirituality. I tried a couple of novels, but nothing grabbed me, so I read instead:

Reaching for the other side by Dawn Hill - this book touched on the author's psychic development, some of her stories, and storied told by others. She even has some exercises scattered here and there that one can follow, if interested in opening up (more) to psychic abilities.

You have been here before by Dr. Edith Fiore - this is a book about past lives and their recall under hypnosis. Typical stories that one reads related to past life regressions. Liked it a lot and only strengthened my belief in reincarnation.

The death are alive by Harold Sherman - this one was quite interesting. It discussed pretty much everything about spirituality, psychic abilities and making contact with the 'other side'. It even touched on EVP (electronic voice phenomena) - remember White Noise the movie?

I guess in the hectic of life lately (stress from work, busy with jewelry, etc) I didn't have time to slow down and just touch on my soul. Heck, I even stopped meditating.
Sometimes the universe has its way of reminding you of what's more important, to put the priorities straight in life. Just stop, and smell the flowers, that's already enough at times.

New freshwater pearl set

Having made the pearl earrings, I wanted to turn it into a set, so I made a necklace as well. Not sure what the stone is, agate or carnelian, but it has a nice translucent shine.
I'm still trying to decide whether I like the brown stone with the pearls. Hubby said a white stone would have matched possibly better. I just didn't have anything that was matching nicely in light colors.

Dawanda's Romanticism Christmas section

Was browsing around in the different Dawanda Advent Calendar sections when I spotted my gray cats-eye bracelet in the Romanticism spot! It seems that Dawanda likes either cats eye or the herringbone weave, as just the other day I spotted my green cats-eye herringbone earrings and bracelet set :)
Of course whether that leads to actual sales, that's another story...

Earrings by Helen

This is the book I just got in the post a few days ago and I was anxious to work from it. I has some really nice earring designs, along with different styles of earwires.
I've worked a bit on my earwire skills, the first is a more secure type of regular earwires, as the loops are inside, they hold better the whole wire in the ears.
The second is a pair of ball-post earrings. There are people who don't like the long earwires due to the way their ears are pierces (ex. too large holes, etc), so I will get my skills up and offer some ball-post earrings as well in my shops. I will use smaller pearls in the wire, as when I tried out my prototype, I had a feeling like I had two earrings in my ear, lol. It's quite interesting though.

Featured on Dawanda's homepage

I've just noticed today my green cats-eye set is on the front page at Dawanda. First I though it's the section with the new products and was wondering how was it shown as new, and then it clicked that it's in the Featured section yayy! (second right from the bottom) I was so surprised as I have never seen my jewelry featured there yet!! But there is always a start for everything :)

Link to a forum : Syntethic Gemstones?

First comment from this forum :

Aug 2004 (16 posts)
"How can I tell if gemstone jewelry I buy online is not man made or syntethic?"



Link to a forum : Diamond Necklace

First comment from this forum :

Sep 2005 (10 posts)
"This diamond necklace is selling for half of it's appraised value. I love it, I would love to wear it to my wedding, but someone told me diamonds are for ladies who have been married for 6 years. Is this true?"

A new Tree of Life

Here is my today's attempt at a tree of life. I like this one much better. The size is normal now, 3x3 cm and it just sits much nicer on the chain. I'll have to make a few more to get it really 'right', with different combinations of stones and beads.

Tree of life pendant

I must be the only one who hasn't done yet a tree of life pendant. So here is my very first one. Silver wire, jasper and crystal chips. Not sure how I feel about it. It's quite big, maybe bigger than I wanted it to be. And the colors are kind of gloomy. I think I'll do another one and use this as a prototype. Or something.

Mock jewelry display table

I have a mini jewelry party on Thursday (I won't be the main attraction there but was also invited by somebody who bought some of my jewelry and she liked it), so I'll get a table there as well.
Today I spent my whole day polishing up my jewelry (making new ear wires, filing away burrs, adding price tags), and making the mock display in the picture so I can sort of see how it will look in real life when I get there.
If you read this post before Thursday, please give me your comments on what do you think I should change - if anything.

Day and Night

Here are a couple more things I've done lately for the 'party' on Thursday where I will have also a table to display my jewelry.
I particularly like the black and white necklace, which I named Day and Night. Onyx and white jade, and of course silver. All with matching earrings.

The next one is rhodonite with silver. I'm modelling it.





Third is amazonite beads and turquoise pendant, and earrings.

This mosaic silver pendant with jasper and quartz crystal chips is something I made just now, mostly for fun. (this one just SOLD)



On the left is a simple chain with agate square stones.



And finally I have two moonstone sets, one with small bone beads, and one with Swarovski crystals.

Amethyst : as a mineral

Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz often used as an ornament. The name comes from the Greek a ("not") and methustos ("to intoxicate"), a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication.
Quartz
Amethyst
General
Category Mineral variety
Chemical formula Silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2)
Identification
Color purple
Crystal habit 6-sided prism ending in 6-sided pyramid (typical)
Crystal system rhombohedral class 32
Twinning Dauphine law, Brazil law and Japan law
Cleavage None
Fracture Conchoidal
Mohs Scale hardness 7 - lower in impure varieties
Luster Vitreous/glossy
Refractive index nω = 1.543 - 1.553 nε = 1.552 - 1.554
Optical Properties Uniaxial (+) (Positive)
Birefringence +0.009 (B-G interval)
Pleochroism None
Streak White
Specific gravity 2.65 constant; variable in impure varieties
Melting point 1650 (±75) °C
Solubility H2O insoluble
Diaphaneity Transparent to translucent
Other Characteristics Piezoelectric
Chemistry

Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz, its chemical formula is SiO2.

In the 20th century, the color of amethyst was attributed to the presence of manganese. However, since it is capable of being greatly altered and even discharged by heat, the color was believed by some authorities to be from an organic source. Ferric thiocyanate was suggested, and sulfur was said to have been detected in the mineral.

More recent work has shown that amethyst's coloration is due to ferric iron impurities.[1] Further study has shown a complex interplay of iron and aluminium is responsible for the color.[2]

On exposure to heat, amethyst generally becomes yellow, and much of the citrine, cairngorm, or yellow quartz of jewelry is said to be merely "burnt amethyst." Veins of amethystine quartz are apt to lose their color on the exposed outcrop[citation needed].

Synthetic amethyst is made to imitate the best quality amethyst. Its chemical and physical properties are so similar to that of natural amethyst that it cannot be differentiated with absolute certainty without advanced gemological testing (which is often cost prohibitive). There is one test (which is not 100 percent certain) based on "Brazil law twinning" (a form of quartz twinning where right and left hand quartz structures are combined in a single crystal[3] which can be used to identify synthetic amethyst rather easily. In theory however it is possible to create this material synthetically as well, but this type is not available in large quantities in the market.[4]

Composition

Amethyst is composed of an irregular superposition of alternate lamellae of right-handed and left-handed quartz. It has been shown that this structure may be due to mechanical stresses. As a consequence of this composite formation, amethyst is apt to break with a rippled fracture or to show "thumb markings," and the intersection of two sets of curved ripples may produce on the fractured surface a pattern something like that of "engine turning." Some mineralogists, following Sir David Brewster, apply the name of amethyst to all quartz which exhibits this structure, regardless of color.

Because it has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, amethyst is treasured for its use in jewelry.

Hue and Tone

Amethyst occurs in a continuum of primary hues from a light slightly pinkish violet to a deep grape purple. Amethyst may exhibit one or both secondary hues, red and/or blue. The ideal grade is called "Deep Siberian" and has a primary purple hue of around 75 - 80 percent, 15-20 percent blue and (depending on the light source) red secondary hues.[4]

A polished amethyst gem stone.

A polished amethyst gem stone.

History

Amethyst was used as a gemstone by the ancient Egyptians and was largely employed in antiquity for intaglios. Beads of amethyst are found in Anglo-Saxon graves in England. It is a widely distributed mineral, but fine, clear specimens that are suitable for cutting as ornamental stones are confined to comparatively few localities. Such crystals occur either in the cavities of mineral-veins and in granitic rocks, or as a lining in agate geodes. A huge geode, or "amethyst-grotto," from near Santa Cruz in southern Brazil was exhibited at the Düsseldorf, Germany Exhibition of 1902. Many of the hollow agates of Brazil and Uruguay contain a crop of amethyst crystals in the interior. Much fine amethyst comes from Russia, especially from near Mursinka in the Ekaterinburg district, where it occurs in drusy cavities in granitic rocks. Many localities in India yield amethyst.

Museum-quality piece of Amethyst

Museum-quality piece of Amethyst

Geographic distribution

Amethyst occurs at many localities in the United States, but these specimens are rarely fine enough for use in jewelry. Among these may be mentioned Amethyst Mountain, Texas; Yellowstone National Park; Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Haywood County, North Carolina; Deer Hill and Stow, Maine. It is found also in the Lake Superior region. Amethyst is relatively common in northwestern Ontario, and in various locations throughout Nova Scotia, but uncommon elsewhere in Canada. Amethyst is produced in abundance from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil where it occurs in large geodes within volcanic rocks. It is also found and mined in South Korea. The largest opencast amethyst vein in the world is in Maissau, Lower Austria.

6 carat (1.2 g) pear shape amethyst ring

6 carat (1.2 g) pear shape amethyst ring

Value

Traditionally included in the cardinal, or most valuable, gemstones (along with diamond, sapphire, ruby, and emerald), amethyst has lost much of its value due to the discovery of extensive deposits in locations such as Brazil. The highest grade Amethyst (called "Deep Russian") is exceptionally rare and therefore its value is dependent on the demand of collectors when one is found. It is however still orders of magnitude lower than the highest grade sapphires or rubies (Padparadscha Sapphire or "Pigeon Blood" Ruby) which can go for as much as $50,000 or more per carat.[4]

Amethyst such as the "Russian" quality (bluish purple key color) and such as material recently found in Georgia since 2005 (with some of the stones showing both blue hue and red flashes) and of which its top material is considered of the best quality presently available [5] still command prices of not more than $50 per carat.[6]

Amethyst in folklore and astrology

Amethyst is the birthstone associated with February. It is also associated with the astrological signs of Pisces, Aries (especially the violet and purple variety), Aquarius, and Sagittarius. It is a symbol of heavenly understanding, and of the pioneer in thought and action on the philosophical, religious, spiritual, and material planes. Ranking members of the Roman Catholic Church traditionally wear rings set with a large amethyst as part of their office.

The Greek word "amethystos" (αμέθυστος) basically can be translated as "not drunken." Amethyst was considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness, which is why wine goblets were often carved from it. Supposedly, when a drunken Dionysus was pursuing a maiden called Amethystos, who refused his affections, she prayed to the gods to remain chaste. The goddess Artemis granted the prayer, transforming her into a white stone; humbled by Amethystos' desire to remain chaste, Dionysus poured wine over the stone she had become as an offering, dyeing the crystals purple.

Variants of the story include that Dionysus, the god of intoxication, had been insulted by a mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal who crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish; the mortal turned out to be a beautiful young woman, Amethystos, who was on her way to pay tribute to Artemis. Her life is spared by Artemis, who transforms the maiden into a statue of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful statue. The god's tears stained the quartz purple.[7] Another variation involves the goddess Rhea presenting Dionysus with the amethyst stone to preserve the winedrinker's sanity.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ Klein, Cornelis and Hurlbut, Cornelius S., 1985 Manual of Mineralogy (after JD Dana) 20th edition, p. 441, John Wiley & Sons, New York
  2. ^ Cohen, Alvin J., 1985, Amethyst color in quartz,the result of radiation protection involving iron', American Mineralogist, V. 70, pp 1180-1185
  3. ^ Quartz Page Twinning Crystals. Retrieved on 2007-05-28.
  4. ^ a b c Secrets of the Gem Trade; The Connoisseur's Guide to Precious Gemstones Richard W Wise, Brunswick House Press, Lenox, Massachutes., 2003
  5. ^ Bowling, Ryan L (2005). "Jackson Crossroads Amethyst Deposit, Wilkes County, Georgia". Mineralogical Record A 36 (6): 479(8). Retrieved on 2007-05-27.
  6. ^ Mountain Gems and Minerals, Little Switzerland, NC; one of the authors or Mineralogical Record and other articles and co-owner of the mine. Tucson showreport images: http://www.gamineral.org/t05-clarion_hotel.html
  7. ^ source
  8. ^ (Nonnus, Dionysiaca, XII.380)
source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amethyst

My first commissioned work

I've just finished my first commissioned piece. Usually a necklace takes me 2-3 hours, I was working on this necklace a month LOL! (not full time of course)
My friend wanted a very specific mix of stringing with chains and with wire works as well included, quite asymmetrical, so here is the (finally!) final piece!! :)

Some things I've learned in the process:
With commissioned work, you do not always do what you think the piece should be like, but what is requested of you. You need to follow certain specifications - which sometimes change in due course, add certain materials as what you had before as per Murphy's law was either too thin (and it cut the piece) or too small or just not right (thank god for internet supplies shopping). Then you need to alter it a lot of times, and it tends to take much more time than a regular piece.
Having said all that, I quite like the final piece. It definitely stretched my abilities and made me learn a few additional things. I always thought simple stringing is quite 'simple'. I learned herewith otherwise! Never take again bead stringers for granted!
Now I only hope my friend's mom will like the necklace!

Few more earring designs (earrings on the left - SOLD)

I've picked up Moods in Wire by Ellsworth 'Ed' Sinclair and tried out a couple of things from the book. I couldn't get his single wire cabochon for the life of me - and I've read in various forums that several people are having troubles following those instructions. So I let it be - and instead focused on making some earrings. Starting from something very simple in the books, I've twisted and turned the wire until the earrings became something quite different. I like specially the second pair, it looks very cool in the ears :)

I'm a bit pressed by time as Dec. 13th I have my first small jewelry 'party'. It's actually a party for somebody selling cosmetics to a group, and as he has already bought from me some pendants, she showed them and they liked my stuff. So now I'm also invited with my jewelry. Of which I have not too much! So I'm feeling a bit stressed as I don't have much time and I need to make and make and make pendants, earrings, bracelets, so I have something on that table :)