Wire Jewelry

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Tools• Bent chain nose - Chain nose pliers with a 45

degree bend for getting into tight places. Can also be used for picking up small parts, and opening and closing jump rings.

• Chain nose - Pointed flat nose pliers, used for gripping and tucking in wire ends, and getting into tight places.

• Round nose - Smooth, round jaws used for making loops and round bends in wire.

• Flat nose pliers - Broad, flat jaws used for gripping and holding wire and creating angular bends. Also great for opening and closing jump rings.

Tools• Flush cutter - A flush cutter is a jewelry wire

cutter that is made to cut wire leaving one side of the cut to be flush (or flat) and the other side of the cut to be sharp (pointed).  A conventional cutter will cut the wire leaving both sides semi-sharp.  One side of the jaws on a flush cutter is flat, the opposite side is beveled. 

• End Cutter Nippers – Cutters used to cut wire and findings. They create a close, even cut.

• Side Nippers – Use these to cut wire right next to an object.

Gauges

Wire Hardness• Hardness - Hardness in wire is the property of how easy

or how hard to bend the wire is.  Soft wire is very easy to bend.  Hard wire is stiff and springy

• Full -Hard - Hard wire is the stiffest, least easy to bend and most springy of all the wire harnesses.  This type of wire is not used a great deal because it is difficult to bend

• Half Hard - In the middle of this range.  This wire is stiffer than dead soft wire and not as stiff and springy as fully hardened wire.  In general only gold, gold-filled, sterling silver and fine silver wire can be purchased with a hardness of 1/2 hard. 

• Dead Soft-This wire is very soft and can be bent with your hands. It is often used for wire-sculpted jewelry.

Findings• Finding - A finding is a jewelry making component,

frequently made of metal.   Ear wires, head pins, eye pins and clasps are examples of findings. 

• Ear Wire - A finding used to allow the wearing of earrings.  The ear wire connects the earring body to the wearer's ear

• Jump Ring - A jump ring is a metal finding that is round.  Jump rings can be open like the one shown at right or they can be soldered closed

• Yoke - A yoke is the center piece in a necklace.  In the necklace at right you can view two yokes.  This necklace is a project that allows you to interchange the yoke in a necklace.  You can select the picture at right to view how to make this interchangeable yoke necklace.

Techniques• A loop is essentially a circle made in a wire segment. 

• Open loop - Opening a loop is a jewelry making technique for using chain nose or bent chain nose pliers to open a loop without distorting the shape.  By opening a loop you can connect other components to this loop, then close the loop while retaining the round shape of the loop. 

• A "P" loop is a loop made in wire where the loop is on one side of the wire.  The shape of the loop and the wire makes this look like the letter "P", hence the name.

• A spiral is a wire component made by wrapping wire around itself in a flat plane.  An example of a spiral is shown at right.  Spirals can only be made in wire with a hardness of dead soft. 

Ideas

http://www.xeniadesign.com/jewelry/bracelets/copperclover.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/41/99847359_8075f32c2c.jpg

http://www.victorianelegance.com/vf/vfj042.jpg

http://www.xeniadesign.com/jewelry/necklaces/rusjade.jpg