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PRESENTS

Handmade Wedding Jewelry: Patterns and Projects

to Inspire Beautiful Wedding Jewelry Ideas

http://www.jewelrymakingdaily.com

©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use.

HANDMADE WEDDING JEWELRY: PATTERNS AND PROJECTS TO INSPIRE BEAUTIFUL WEDDING JEWELRY IDEAS

3

PEARL & WIRE EARRINGS

Finding form and function

BY RACHEL SAVANÉ

10

PEARL CUFFMultistrand pearl and crystal bracelet

BY DONNA KRAIDMAN

6

JUNE BRIDE NECKLACEFreshwater pearls and

crisscrossed sterling wire

BY MAI SATO-FLORES

GIVE THE WEDDING PARTY the most personal of jewelry for that most special of special occasions: handmade custom pieces that will become treasured keepsakes after the ceremony. Using these three lovely jewelry projects, you can create earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet perfect for the bride or any member of the bridal party. Make them just as shown or customize them by working in a few crystals for a bit more sparkle, or substituting some white pearls with pearls or crystals in the wedding’s color theme. You can even size down the pearl cuff for the flower girl!

Whether you’re making jewelry for a special friend’s special day, for your own wedding, or have a wedding jewelry component to your home or other jewelry business, you’re sure to please the bride and her friends and family with these lovely wedding jewelry projects.

Merle WhiteEditorial Director, Interweave Jewelry Group



M A T E R I A L S

Four 6mm half-drilledbutton pearls

14-gauge round sterling wire

20-gauge round ster-ling wire

Easy solder

Pearl glue

T O O L S

Wire cutters

Metal snips

Halfround pliers

Anvil

Rawhide mallet

Flex-shaft

Sanding disks

1mm drill bit

Torch, flux, solderingblock

Pickle, copper tongs

Polishing equipment

SKILLS YOU NEED

M AT E R I A L S A N D TO O L S YO U N E E D

Having spent time in Denmark and other Scandinavian

countries, I am sensitive to Scandinavian design and have

observed works of many genres: jewelry, pottery, weav-

ing, furniture, electronics, architecture and clothing to name

a few. Across the board, I see a simple, subtractive, and inclu-

sive design broken down to only necessary elements without

overembellishment. Thoughtful design is in all parts of a

piece. Functional craft must include practical elements such

as the bail of a pendant, the handle of a coffee cup, or the

button on a telephone. In Scandinavian design, equal if not

more attention is given to the functional elements, and they

are integrated into the construction to elevate and enhance

the entire work.

When creating earrings, I do not hide the practical by

sticking a post on the back or hanging a fabulous design from

a prefabricated wire. My earrings boast their curvilinear wire,

which feeds through the ear and swishes back to add another

dimension to the piece. These earrings are designed as mir-

ror-opposites, and create two distinct impressions depending

on how they are worn (right-left or left-right).

I hope that this will inspire you to think differently about

the lowly earwire. She deserves to be elevated into the realm

of high design and appreciated for her contributions to the

genre — where would the earring be without the earwire?

• soldering • basic fabrication • polishing

PEARL &

WIRE EARRINGS PR

OJ

EC

T B

Y

RACHEL SAVANÉ

Project photo: JIM LAWSON

F i n d i n g fo r m a n d f u n c t i o n

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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST, JULY 2007



7 8

1 2 3

4 5 6{Photo 1} Using wire cutters, cut two

equal lengths 14ga round sterling silver

wire, approximately 50mm each.

{Photo 2} Straighten using rawhide mallet

on flat surface of anvil.

{Photo 3} Taper ends using flex-shaft with

fine-grit sanding disc attachment.

{Photo 4} Anneal wire for ease in shaping

body of earring.

{Photo 5} Using half-round pliers, shape

wire into pleasing curve, somewhere

between soft crescent and “C” shape.

Precisely shape second wire to same curve;

flip over to be mirror opposite of first wire.

{Photo 6} Measure two lengths approxi-

mately 90mm of 20ga round wire and snip

with shears: the earwires.

Snip four lengths of 20ga round wire to

approximately 10mm for pearl mounting pins.

{Photo 7} On soldering pad, position four

20ga wire lengths toward bottom curve of

14ga curved wires. Measure distance

between pins by eye, calculating for width

of pearl to be mounted on each pin.

Repeat for second earring. Maintain the

mirror opposite positioning for pins. Flux

and solder pins into place with easy solder.

{Photo 8} Solder 20ga earwires to ends

opposite pearl pins. Overlap approximately

5mm of 20ga wire over 14ga wire with pearl

pins already soldered on.

TIPS� To solder the thin wires to the

thicker wires, pick up a small

piece of easy solder on the end of

the 20ga earwire. Heat the 14ga

wire until it is ready to receive the

thinner wire. Remove the heat

when the solder flows. The side of

the earring with the overlapping

pieces will be the back. It is

important to remember the loca-

tion of the back of the earwire.

� 20ga wire is an acceptable weight

for the mainstream. 21 or 22ga

would not be hefty enough to sup-

port this particular design, and 18

ga is too thick for many people.

� Precise measurement is not neces-

sary for the pearl mounting pins,

since they’ll be trimmed after sol-

dering. 8mm–11mm is a sufficient

length to grab and position them

with the tweezers during soldering.





15 16{Photo 9} Using shears, trim pearl pins to

about 3mm. Test length by sliding pearl on

pin — entire pin needs to be covered by

pearl. Trim as needed without cutting too

short to avoid starting over.

{Photo 10} File excess solder so pin is

equal thickness from tip to base. Excess sol-

der will prevent pearl from sitting well.

{Photo 11} File overlapping 20ga wire so it

blends into 14ga wire. This cosmetic touch

creates illusion that 14ga wire becomes

thinner earwire.

Use your favorite method of firescale removal.

Use rouge buffing wheel for high polish.

{Photo 12} Use strong adhesive to mount

pearls onto pins. Allow ample drying time

as indicated on instructions.

{Photo 13} Using halfround pliers, work-

harden 20ga wire.

Holding body of earring firmly, squeeze pli-

ers to base of earwire. Slide pliers down

length of earwire, maintaining good

squeeze on pliers. Rotate body of earring so

as not to grab earwire in same position.

Repeat squeeze and slide six times to work-

harden earwire.

{Photo 14} Position halfround pliers so

rounded side is on back of earwire. Bend

earwire into U shape over pliers, forming

hook portion of earwire that will be through

ear when earring is worn.

{Photo 15} Bend earwire into similar

curve to earring. Follow curve approximate-

ly, but not precisely. The curve is independ-

ent of body of earring, not exact, and hid-

den behind body of piece. Should still be a

good amount of earwire to be shaped.

{Photo 16} Swing tail of earwire back in a

swoosh — notice how this gives earring

energy boost.

Repeat steps from work-hardening through

earwire shaping for second earring, remem-

bering to maintain mirror opposite posi-

tions of curves — they are not identical.

RACHEL SAVANÉ holds a BFA in Crafts/

Metals from the University of Illinois, Urbana-

Champaign, and studied for a year in Denmark.

She began her business in 1996. Visit

www.SavaneSilver.com to see her work.

9 10 11

12 13 14

� Half round pliers are better than

the round/round or the flat pliers

for manipulating the earwires into

final position. Use a small piece of

leather to help get a good grip on

the wire.

� It is important to obtain a good

level of work-hardening so that the

earwire doesn’t bend easily, espe-

cially with long earwire designs.

� Please notice that these earrings

have two distinct ways to be worn.

The shaped earwire pulls the eye

in opposite directions depending

on how the earrings are worn.

TIPS




http://www.savanesilver.com

©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use. wire basics at STEPBYSTEPWIRE.COM 19

skill level

june bride necklaceFreshwater pearls and criss-

crossed sterling wire.By Mai Sato-Flores

19SW0610-bride.indd 19 4/7/10 10:19:05 AM04072010102003

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN STEP BY STEP WIRE JEWELRY, JUNE/JULY 2010



This is an elegant and unique bridal necklace. Its shimmering, iridescent baroque pearls and large quartz crystal centerpiece defi nitely make a statement. The baroque fresh water pearls are naturally asymmetric and irregular in shape, but the full piece is well balanced. The baroque fresh water pearl strands are sold in groups that are similar in size but contain some size variation. The materials listed make a 17" necklace.

tools & supplies• 24-gauge sterling soft wire, 14' 10 ¾"

(452.5cm)

• 7mm x 5mm-7.5mm x 6mm

(approximately) Baroque white fl at top-

drilled freshwater pearls, 32 (Strand 1)

• 9mm x 8mm-10mm x 8.5mm



• 11mm x 8.5mm-12mm x 9mm



• 14mm x 11mm-15mm x 11.5mm



• 18mm x 9mm-21mm x 13mm



• 12mm x 10mm oval faceted center-drilled

white topaz gemstones, 4

• 28mm x 19mm top-drilled faceted tear

drop quartz crystal gemstone

• Sterling toggle clasp

• Ruler

• Flush cutters

• Chain nose pliers

• Flat nose pliers

• Round nose pliers

• Safety glasses

3 Repeat Step 2, this time using two pearls from Strand 4. 4 Repeat Step 2 twice using pearls

from Strand 5, making two rows. Remember to twist the wire twice after each set.

2 Select two pearls from Strand 1 that are similar in shape. String one onto each of the wires and slide them down to the wrapped loop. Hold the pearls with your

fi ngers, and bend the wires across each other to form an X, leaving about 2mm of space between the pearls and the X. Hold the wire at the X with fl at nose pliers, and twist it twice.

1 Cut two 7' (214 cm) lengths; four 2 ¼" (5.7cm) lengths; and one 1 ¾"

(4.5cm) length of wire. To make the fi rst segment, take a 7' piece of wire, bend a right angle at the center, and make a wrapped loop.

5 Repeat Step 2 four times using pearls from Strand 4, making a total

of three rows.

19SW0610-bride.indd 20 4/7/10 10:19:06 AM04072010102004



6 Repeat Step 2 two times using pearls from Strand 3, making a total

of two rows.

7 Repeat Step 2 four times using pearls from Strand 2, making a total

of four rows.

8 Repeat Step 2 seven times using pearls from Strand 1, making a total

of seven rows.

11 Wrap the wire around the stem and over the wrapped loop once. Use the wire to return wrapping the wire in between the pearls on the fl ip side of the stem

until you reach the opposite end. Wrap it around the stem over the wrapped loop. Cut off any remaining wire and make it snug around the stem.

12 Repeat Steps 10-11 with the second wire, wrapping the wire

in the opposite direction so it forms an X shape in between each pair of pearls. Repeat Steps 1–12 to make the second segment.

9 Do not cut any of the wires. Use one wire to make a wrapped loop, and

wrap the wire around the base three times.

10 Wrap one of the two wires over and in between the fi rst pair of

pearls and around the stem once. Wrap over the next two pearls and around the stem once, and continue until you reach the opposite end.

wire tips• It is helpful to sort the pearls into the fi ve strand groups before making this piece. To extend the length of the necklace you can either add more of the pearls from strand 1 or add more white topaz wrapped loop gem links at the end.

19SW0610-bride.indd 21 4/7/10 10:19:07 AM04072010102004



Mai Sato-Flores

is a jewelry designer based in New York City. She sells her jewelry at Seigo, and at Henri Bendel trunk shows. She

is the co-author of Wrapped in Gems, a book about gemstones and wire wrap techniques. Mai can be contacted through her Web site at maifl ores.com.

16 Use one of the 2 ¼" lengths of wire to begin a wrapped loop,

attach it to one of the small ends of one of the pearl segments, and wrap closed. Insert one oval white topaz gemstone, and close with a wrapped loop.

17 Use another 2 ¼" length of wire and another oval white topaz

gemstone to make another wrapped loop link. Before closing the fi nal loop, attach the toggle, and close the wrapped loop. Repeat Steps 16-17 on the other end with the other half of the clasp.

13 At the ends of each of the segments that have the larger

pearls, adjust the loop so that it is perpendicular to the pearls on the segment.

15 Shape the curve on each of the segments so they are

symmetrical.

19SW0610-bride.indd 22 4/7/10 10:19:08 AM04072010102005

LET US INSPIRE the Artist in YouFrom cover to cover, Jewelry Artist brings you unique jewelry and gem projects in an easy-to-follow format.

jewelryartistmagazine.com

14 Use the 1 ¾" length of wire to make a top-drilled open loop on

the teardrop quartz crystal gemstone, and attach the two pearl segments at their large ends (the perpendicular loops), and close the loop.


http://www.jewelryartistmagazine.com

http://www.maiflores.com


Add nine more pearls to each wire, a spacer bar, then

a crystal to each wire.

Using a Bead Stopper™ (or something like it), secure

two of the three ends so your pieces don’t fall off.

Now that you are happy with the length of your cuff

bracelet, cut the end of the unsecured wire leaving

about 6mm. Using your round nose pliers, make an

eye loop. Repeat this step for the remaining two wires. �

Resources:Swarovski® Crystals and Pearls: Atlantic Gems, Inc., www.atlanticgems.com. Spacer Bars: Bead Design. Memory Wire:Michaels, www.michaels.com.

Donna Kraidman

is Business & Operations Manager of the In-terweave Bead, Gem, and Jewelry Group,which includes Step by Step Beads, Step by StepWire, Lapidary Journal, Colored Stone, BeadFest, Jewelry Arts Expo, Wire Jewelry Festand Jewelry Fest. She has been designing herjewelry since 2002, working with beads, wire,and bead crochet.

Lay out your design on a bead board, towel, or

other non-skid surface that will keep your beads

from rolling away.

Measure and cut three pieces of memory wire the

length of your finished cuff and add 2". This will

make it much easier to work with when you get to

the end of the bracelet. Note: Make sure to use memo-

ry wire cutters or you will damage your tools.

Using very sturdy round nose pliers, bend a small

eye loop at the end of each of the three pieces of

wire.

String a crystal onto each of the wires, then add a

spacer bar, pushing everything down to the closed

end. This will help hold your piece together.

This piece uses nine pearls on each wire on each

end. Depending on the desired size of your fin-

ished piece, you may need to adjust up or down.

Once you have loaded nine pearls onto each of

the three wires, add a spacer bar, four crystals to

each wire, and another spacer bar.

Multistrand pearl

and crystal bracelet.

BY DONNA KRAIDMAN

Photo by Todd Murray.

• 18 bicone Swarovski®

Crystals, 6mm

• 54 Swarovski® pearls, 6mm

• 3 3-hole spacers, 20mm

• Bracelet Memory Wire

• Round nose pliers

• Sturdy wire snips

• Bead design board, towel,

or non-skid surface

• Bead Stopper™

Pearl Cuff

What you need

skill level � ��

1T

This stylish cuff is a perfect fit every time be-

cause it’s made with Memory Wire! That makes it

the perfect gift for any member of your bridal party.

2

3456

789

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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN STEP BY STEP BEADS WEDDING JEWELRY, 2007


jmd handmade wedding jewelry - interweave...give the wedding party the most personal of jewelry for...

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