Jewelry Making Blog | Information | Education

Wire Jewelry Resource: Necklace Length Styles

February 8th, 2012

Wire Jewelry Idea for February 8, 2012

Have you ever been stuck in a rut with your necklaces and pendants, but you’re not sure what necklace lengths you can experiment? Here are 6 typical necklace lengths that are popular, from the collar to lariat length. Plus, these designs can be versatile: a 14-16" necklace can also double as a bracelet, and an opera- or lariat-length necklace can be wrapped twice (or 3 times!) around the neck for a stranded effect. Let your creativity flow!

Being one who loved making paper dolls, I originally planned this download with the dolls wearing a dress whose top was at armpit height. However, it conflicted so much with the princess necklace length that I removed the dress’s boundary. So you can draw in your own dress or shirt, with the neckline you think will flatter the necklace most (and vice versa!) in this download. Break out the colored pencils!

Download this Jewelry Measurements PDF Download Necklace Length Inspiration (256KB) | Download Adobe Reader

Click to Download!

Featured Tool of the Week: Optivisor ELP-505.00

February 6th, 2012

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by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Tool of the Week for
February 6, 2012

This week’s tool: Optivisors 2.5x Magnification

Demonstration by Kate, JewelryTools.com

Optivisor is the gold standard when discussing headband magnifiers with jewelry makers! Optivisors allow you to work on your jewelry without squinting, playing "trombone" with your work, or stopping your creative flow. Not only do the Optivisors allow you to see your work close-up while working with both hands, but the visor also helps you control your lighting, which reduces glare off those shiny wires and helps you see each wrap clearly! This is the brand of headband magnifiers you’ll see Dale "Cougar" Armstrong use in all her wire jewelry DVDs.

Interested in Optivisors, but want more information? Check out our archived posts all about Optivisors!

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Tagged with:jewelry making tool, magnify, magnifying, opti visor, optivisor, optivisors

Filed under: Daily Wire Jewelry Tips

2012 Tucson Show Update: Week 2

February 3rd, 2012

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photos by Heather Dean; written by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

This week I was mainly at the TEP Gem & Mineral Show, one of Tucson’s very best shows and it’s what should be in the dictionary under the definition of “eclectic.” TEP, at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, is my very favorite show thanks to the range of jewelry and other products, as well as the inestimable people we meet there, both buyers and vendors. Please enjoy these pictures! I’ll be traveling to different shows the next two weeks, so stay tuned for those updates!

One of the guys putting up our big JewelryTools.com blimp, so people can find us for classes & tools easily: it's a big blimp!

Unique quartz geode egg

They look like pebbles at a glance, but they're highly polished freeform labradorite cabs by the handful!

Streams of beads line the tables inside some tents.

This fantastic Predator sculpture was made from car parts, wrenches, and other mechanical things. Its price tag: $7500! (and already sold)

There may be no such thing as a rock too big to wire wrap.... but you're going to need a lot of wire for these ones!

Choose from gemstone slaps as dinosaurs roam the tables...

Did someone say triceratops?

Not all the beads at the show are little glittery things- plenty of gemstone beads to be had, too!

Choose polished and rough stones surrounded by eclectic artwork.

Brenda Schweder, steel wire maven, works on a piece with a student at the JewelryTools Tent, ES14

Eva Sherman demonstrates tools and jewelry making at the JewelryTools.com Tent

Irina Wilson demonstrates her intricate beading work at the JewelryTools.com Tent.

Jackie Trudy and a student complete a project at the JewelryTools.com Tent.

These gemstone obelisk shapes ranged in size from pendant to bookend in a variety of stones.

Shopping is lots of fun at TEP Gem & Mineral Show!

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Tagged with:show, tep, tucson

Filed under: Daily Wire Jewelry Tips

Wire Jewelry Idea: Mother’s Ring

February 1st, 2012

Comments (21)

by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Wire Jewelry Idea for
February 1, 2012

Name: Jennifer’s Mother Ring
Submitted by: Joan Huck

Technique used: snapsets, ringmaking

Materials used:

Jennifer's Mother's Ring, a wire wrapped snapset family ring by Joan Huck

Joan said, "Mother’s Rings and Birthstone Rings are a "hot item" for me. I just started making them recently and I can’t make them fast enough! I made several different designs and then allow my customers to pick out their stones, style, type of wire (silver, silver filled, or craft wire depending on how much they want to invest).

"I made this one for my niece as a Christmas present from her husband. The outside stones are citrine CZs, and the middle stone is a garnet CZ."

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Tagged with:birthostone, cubic zirconia, cz, grandmother's ring, mother's ring, wire jewelry ideas

Filed under: Daily Wire Jewelry Tips • Wire Jewelry Ideas

Featured Tool of the Week: Metal Drawplate DRA-555.00

January 30th, 2012

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by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Tool of the Week for
January 30, 2012

This week’s tool: Metal Drawplate DRA-555.00

Demonstration by Kate, JewelryTools.com

This drawplate is the perfect size for drawing down wire. Its 39 round holes range from 2.80 – 0.26mm in diameter, which correspond to slightly larger than 10-gauge to about 30-gauge. Metal draw plates such as this tungsten steel draw plate are fantastic for reducing the size of wire to the gauge that you need.

If you’re looking to reduce the size of a woven wire chain, such as a Viking Knit chain, use a wooden draw plate, because the holes are much larger and the wood will not scratch or mar the wire. Albina’s How to Use a Drawplate might be helpful to you if you are interested in reducing chain – and the same general process is used for reducing wire, too.

When trying to reach a specific gauge, use our handy Wire Guage to Inches and Millimeters chart to convert the wire gauge to millimeters!

Click below to see Drawplates on JewelryTools.com: