Wire wrapping is one of the oldest techniques for making
jewelry by hand. In wire wrapping, jewelry is made using
jewelry wire and findings similar to wire (like head-pins)
to make components. Wire components are then
connected to one another using mechanical techniques
with no soldering or heating of the wire. Frequently, in
this approach, a wire is bent into a loop or other
decorative shape and then the wire is wrapped around
itself to finish the wire component making that loop or
decorative shape permanent. Because of this technique
for wrapping wire around itself this craft is called wire
wrapping.
HISTORY
Examples of wire and beaded jewelry made using wire wrapping
techniques date back to thousands of years BC. The British
Museum has samples of jewelry from the Sumerian Dynasty,
found in the cemetery of Ur that contain spiraled wire
components. This jewelry is dated at approximately 2000 BC.
Other samples of jewelry from Ancient Rome show wire wrapped
loops (one of the important techniques in making wire wrapped
jewelry). This Roman jewelry is dated to approximately 2000
years ago. In the manufacture of this early jewelry the
techniques for soldering did not exist. Later, as the technique for
soldering developed, the wire wrapping approach continued
because it was an economical and quick way to make jewelry
components out of wire.
Currently, wire wrapping techniques are not frequently used for
mass produced jewelry because of simple economics. Machines
can cast jewelry components much faster and cheaper. Artisans
or craftsmen are required to make jewelry by hand and in the
current mass marketplace, machines are less expensive and
perhaps more precise. At this time, using the wire wrapping
approach to making jewelry is primarily employed by individual
craftsmen and women.
Wire wrapped jewelry
The craft of wire wrapping has not been precisely defined and for
this reason it is difficult to define unequivocally. The key
differences between making jewelry by wire wrapping and other
approaches to making jewelry are two-fold;
1. Wire wrapped jewelry is made of wire and findings similar
to wire (head-pins, jump rings, etc.)
2. Wire wrapped jewelry is made using mechanical
connections between components and without soldering or
other heat treatments.
A key element in wire wrapped jewelry is a loop made in a
segment of wire. In general, loops in wire are connected to one
another to make the mechanical connections between
components. A loop can be something as simple as bending the
end of a piece of wire until the very end of the wire is bent far
enough that it touches the wire itself. This simple form of a loop
is called a “P” loop. A “P” loop is a loop in the wire in the shape
of the letter “P”. Another form of a loop is an eye loop. An eye
loop is a more complex loop with a full circle of wire centered
over the stem of wire just like a lollipop.
In their basic form, P loops and eye loops are “open” loops. This
means that the loop can be opened mechanically to allow it to
connect to another component. The opposite of an open loop is a
closed loop. In a closed loop, the end of the wire is wrapped
around the stem of the loop so that the loop is permanent and
can’t be opened. A closed loop is also called a wrapped loop and
it is this technique that resulted in this approach to making
jewelry being called wire wrapping.
Wire wrapped jewelry is jewelry made of wire with mechanical
connections instead of soldered connections. A mechanical
connection is simply connecting an open loop to another loop, or
connecting a wrapped loop to another loop during fabrication
before the wrapped loop was wrapped closed. In the simplest
example of hand made, wire wrapped jewelry, a bead is threaded
onto a jewelry making finding called a head–pin. The bead is
held in place by the “head” on the head pin. The portion of the
head pin coming out of the opposite side of the bead is essentially
wire. This wire is bent into a loop using hand tools and the
excess wire is cut off. The resulting bead hanging from a loop is
called a “bead dangle”. To complete a simple earring, the loop in
the bead dangle is connected to the loop at the end of an ear wire
finding leaving a completed earring.
Frequently when making a wire wrapped bracelet or necklace,
one would use wrapped loops to connect the components into a
chain. For bracelets and necklaces, wrapped loops are
recommended because open loops could be pulled apart if the
chain were to snag.
Tools
flush cutter
Round nose pliers
Chain nose
Three tools are essential and several other tools are useful in the
construction of wire wrapped jewelry. The basic tools are a flush
cutter, round nose pliers and chain nose or bent chain nose
pliers. A flush cutter is a special type of cutter that leaves one end
of the cut wire flush or flat, while the opposite end of the cut wire
is sharp or pointed. Round nose pliers are pliers with conical
jaws and are used for making loops in wire. Chain nose or bent
chain nose pliers have flat smooth jaws and are used for gripping
and holding wire and for bending wire.
Other useful tools used in making wire wrapped jewelry are
nylon jaw pliers, a ruler, step jaw pliers, a chasing hammer, an
anvil or bench block, a cup bur, loop closing or bent closing
pliers and a jewelry making jig.
Wire
Wire is available is various shapes, such as round and square,
and patterns, such as flat and pre-twisted. It is also available in a
variety of materials. Copper and brass wire are easy to shape and
manipulate. Copper wire can be hammered quite thin. Brass wire
is a little stiffer than copper, but it can be manipulated very
easily. Sterling silver is soft enough to manipulate, but holds its
shape well once it has been formed. Gold-filled wire is made by
fusing a layer of 12-karat gold to a supporting material. The
bond between the two materials is permanent.
Wire is measured by diameter, which is indicated by gauge
numbers. The lower the gauge, the thicker the wire. A 12 or 14gauge wire is fairly heavy, but ideal for making bangles and
chokers. 10-gauge wire is very thick and stiff, while 26-gauge
wire is very fine, almost as thin as hair. This thin wire is wellsuited for coiling embellishments. 16-gauge wire is good for
making jump rings and links for necklaces and bracelets, and 18gauge wire is good to use for adding embellishments and making
finer links.
Memory Wire is a rigid, pre-coiled wire that makes it easy
to create finger and toe rings, bracelets and necklaces.
Beading Wire is a twisted stainless steel wire with a nylon
coating. It is good to use with abrasive beads. A thinner
wire will give an appealing drape to lightweight beads such
as gemstone heishe, liquid gold, or liquid silver and bugle
or seed beads. A thicker weight wire should be used to
accommodate larger, heavier bead strands.
Super-thin Beading Wire is a 34-gauge wire that can used
for forming shapes and weaving around findings. Because
it is so fine, this wire will fit through almost any drill hole.
It is to be used with lightweight beads only as it is very thin
and doesn't have much tensile strength.
Color-Coated Copper Wire (also known as Enameled
Copper Wire) is copper based crafting wire that is soft,
extremely malleable and retains shape moderately well.
Precious Metal Wire - sterling silver, fine silver, and gold
are the most common - is used for wire-wrapping, chainmaking and other jewelry construction. It is available in
four shapes, round, half-round, square and twisted.
Precious Metal Wire also comes in three hardnesses, dead soft,
half-hard and full hard.
Dead Soft wire is extremely malleable and can be bent
easily into a variety of shapes. It does not hold its shape
well at stress points such as clasps.
Half-Hard wire is malleable; however, it will maintain in
intricate shape under moderate stress. It is useful for
weight-bearing parts of wire-wrapped jewelry.
Full Hard wire holds its shape for wire-wrapping jewelry.
Its tempered nature holds intricate designs well, and is
excellent for clasps.
Supplies
For making wire wrapped jewelry the basic component is wire. If
a person was interested, they could make all the items necessary
for making earrings, bracelets and necklaces out of wire. There
are several jewelry components that have been pre-made and are
sold to help facilitate making jewelry. Most of these pre-made
components come under the generic name findings. The most
important findings used in making jewelry are ear wires, clasps,
head pins, and jump rings.
FOR MEASURING WIRE
Jewelry wire gauge is a measure of the diameter or gauge of wire
used in jewelry manufacture.
Wire is a single, usually cylindrical, elongated strand of drawn
metal. This definition is currently correct, but was not correct
when wire was first invented over 2,000 years BC. Wire was first
made from gold nuggets pounded into flat sheets. The sheets
were then cut into strips and the strips were first twisted and then
rolled into the round shape we call wire. This early wire was used
in making jewelry. This early wire, made from sheets of pounded
metal, can be distinguished from modern wire by the spiral line
along the wire created by the edges of the sheet.
Modern wire is manufactured by a different process. Wire is
made by pulling a solid metal cylinder through a draw plate with
holes of a defined size. This approach to making wire was
something that was discovered in Ancient Rome. Frequently,
smaller sizes of wire are made by pulling wire through
successively smaller holes in the draw plate until the desired size
is reached.
Today, wire is used extensively in many applications from
fencing to the electronics industry to electrical distribution and
finally in the making of wire wrapped jewelry. Originally, when
wire was first used, its use was limited to making jewelry.
Wire hardness
All metals have a property called hardness. Hardness is the
property of the metal that resists bending. Soft metals are pliable
and easy to bend. Hard metals are stiff and hard to bend. The
hardness of metals can be changed by heat treating the metal in
a process called annealing or by simply bending the wire in a
process called work hardening.
Wire, like all metals, will have this same hardness property. Most
modern manufacturers of jewelry wire will make the wire with a
defined hardness, generally labeled as a hardness of 0, 1, 2, 3, or
4. Historically, these numbers were associated with the number
of times that the wire was pulled through the draw plate. The
wire becomes harder or stiffer after each time it is drawn through
the drawplate. A hardness of 0 meant that the wire was drawn
only one time and was as soft and pliable as possible. A hardness
of 4 meant that the wire was drawn five or more times and the
wire was as stiff and hard as possible. Currently the designations
0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 no longer correlate to the number of times that
the wire was drawn because the hardness of the wire can be
changed by heat treating the wire. Practically, most jewelry wire
is sold now as either dead soft, half-hard, or hard, with dead soft
being wire manufactured with a hardness of 0, half-hard being
wire manufactured with a hardness of 2, and fully hardened wire
being wire with a hardness of 4.
Dead soft wire is extremely soft and pliable. It can be easily bent
and is excellent for making rounded shapes including a spiral.
The disadvantage of using soft wire is that the finished piece can
be bent out of shape if not properly handled.
Half-hard wire is slightly stiffer than dead soft wire. Half-hard
wire is excellent for making tight, angular bends, for making
loops in wire, and for wrapping wire around itself. Finished
pieces made with half-hard wire are often more permanent than
pieces made with soft wire. Half-hard wire does not do a good job
of making spirals.
Hard wire is very stiff and tends to spring back after being bent.
This can make it harder to work with when using a jig. Hard
wire will not make a spiral. The advantage to hard wire is that
the wire components made out of hard wire are difficult to make
but very permanent.
As in many things, no single wire is perfect for all applications.
Soft wire is easy to bend and shape, but the finished product may
be bent out of shape if squeezed. Hard wire is difficult to bend,
but makes very permanent shapes. Half-hard wire is a
compromise between the two. The ideal wire will be easy to bend,
until in its final shape, but then very stiff. Obviously this ideal
wire does not exist, so when making wire wrapped jewelry the
wire is often hardened as part of making the jewelry. Hardening
the wire can be accomplished by hammering, or by manipulating
the wire in a process called work hardening.
Wire shape
Historically, all wire was round. Advances in technology now
allow the manufacture of jewelry wire in several shapes. The
"shape" refers to the shape of the cut end. These include round,
square, and half-round. Although round wire tends to be more
versatile, square and half-round wire are available and have
their purpose. Half round wire is often wrapped around other
pieces of wire to connect them. Square wire is used because of its
aesthetic value. The corners of the square add interest to the
finished jewelry. Square wire can also be twisted to create
interesting visual effects.
Wire size
For jewelry applications, gauges 12-28 are most common. The
size of wire is defined by one of two measuring systems. The
American wire gauge (AWG) and the Standard wire gauge
(SWG) systems. AWG is usually, but not always the standard for
defining the sizes of wire used in the United States, and SWG is
usually, but not always the standard wire sizing system used in
the United Kingdom. With both the AWG and SWG systems, the
larger the number, the smaller the gauge. For example: 2-gauge
wire is large (like a pencil) and 30-gauge wire is fine, like thread.
In Europe, wire is generally measured in millimeters.
For making jump rings, use 10- to 18-gauge wire (2.5 to 1.3
mm). Bracelet and necklace wire components are generally made
out of wire that is 16-, 18- or 24-gauge (1.3 to 0.8 mm). Earring
wires are usually made out of 18- or 20-gauge wire (1.0 to 0.8
mm). When making wire wrapped jewelry, these components are
connected to one another with wire that is generally 20- to 26-
gauge (0.8 to 0.4 mm). Frequently the connections between wire
components will include a bead on the wire connector in a
technique called a wire-wrapped loop. Most glass beads (but not
all) are manufactured with a hole that is 1 mm in size. This will
accommodate 20-gauge wire, but will probably not accommodate
18-gauge wire. Some glass beads, almost all freshwater pearls
and some gemstone beads will have smaller holes and will
require the use of wire smaller than 20-gauge. (The largest wire
that can go through the beads is generally chosen. Beads and
gemstones are much harder than the wire and will over time saw
into the wire, so thicker wire will last longer.)
Larger wire is more difficult to work with. Wire that is 16-gauge
and heavier is harder to bend and may not be appropriate for
beginners. Hammering wire with a plastic or rawhide mallet will
harden wire without changing its shape. Hammering wire with a
metal jewelers hammer (chasing hammer) will harden and
flatten wire.
Jig
A jig used in making jewelry, a specific type of jig, is a plate or
open frame for holding work and helping to shape jewelry
components made out of wire or small sheets of metal. A jig in
the jewelry making application is used to help establish a pattern
for use in shaping the wire or sheets of metal. In the jewelry
application, the shaping of the metal is done by hand or with
simple hand tools like a hammer.
History
The use of wire in making jewelry is something that can be seen
in jewelry from the Sumerian Dynasty of Ur about 2560 BC. The
British Museum has examples of jewelry obtained from the Royal
Cemetery of Ur (Iraq) that include wire spirals. Examples of
wire and sheet metal jewelry can also be found in jewelry from
Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome. While we have no examples of
jigs or patterns being used to make that jewelry, one can surmise
that sometime after the Sumerians, but likely before the Romans
that patterns made out of carved wood were used to shape jewelry
components. re the same technique we use in our knitting
today.[citation needed]
The Boheman culture brought back wire jewelry. In the 1800
they used wire to string chips of polished glass and stone beads to
make necklaces and bracelet.
Modern Products
There are many techniques for making jewelry using a jewelry
making jig. Most of these techniques can be termed by the name
wire wrapping. This name for making jewelry by hand refers to
the fact that instead of using solder or glue, wire components
using this approach are connected to one another using the same
techniques developed prior to the Middle Ages of wrapping wire
around itself to permanently fix a loop in wire and to connect
wire components.
Techniques for wire wrapping that are commonly used today can
be seen in Roman jewelry and in Egyptian jewelry dated to 6 and
7 AD. While the wire used at that time was not modern wire, the
techniques to use that wire are still valid today. At present, these
ancient techniques have been improved on through the use of
modern materials and jewelry making jigs with removable pegs.