HAND MADE WIRE WRAPPED
FINE ART JEWELLERY
Wire wrap is method of hand fabricating jewellery. The possibility for variation in designs is enormous and the tools required can be fairly minimal. Wires are wrapped or bound together, sometimes twisted and/or coiled into metal ‘beads’. Essential tools would include flush cutters, chain nose pliers, round pliers, files and a mandrel. I use many other things, including hand made tools of my own and my father’s design, in order to achieve the effects I want.
Purist wire wrapping means that no solder or glue may be used in the creation of a piece of jewellery.
Variations of these techniques were used by the Vikings in the 10th Century AD, and have been used by many other civilisations throughout the years.
Wire wrapped copper ring, with faceted aquamarine bead
Wire wrapped bronze ring, with faceted amethyst beads