Wiley-Interscience Wire Jewelry Visual Quick Tips

Product Description Expert tips and tricks for making beautiful wire jewelry are at your fingertips–anywhere you go. Wire Jewelry VISUAL Quick Tips has the answers you need. With detailed color photos and concise instructions, it shows you how to use wirework tools and supplies to make attractive necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings using the hottest techniques: making jump rings, head pins, and eye pins; creating and connecting drops and links; making clasps and ear wires; twisting wire; wrapping within a framework; creating wire chains; using a wire jig; and more. From the Back Cover Expert tips and tricks for making beautiful wire jewelry are at your fingertips―anywhere you go Wire Jewelry VISUAL Quick Tips has the answers you need―fast. With detailed color photos and concise instructions, it shows you how to use wirework tools and supplies to make attractive necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings using the hottest techniques: Making jump rings, head pins, and eye pins Creating and connecting drops and links Making clasps and ear wires Twisting wire Wrapping within a framework Creating wire chains Using a wire jig And more About the Author Chris Franchetti Michaels (Davis, CA) is a writer and jewelry artisan specializing in beaded designs, wirework, and metal fabrication. She has written extensively about jewelry and jewelry making on the Internet since 2003, and she is the author of Teach Yourself Visually Jewelry Making & Beading, Beading Visual Quick Tips, and Wire Jewelry Visual Quick Tips. Chris has also appeared on several episodes of the DIY Network television show Jewelry Making, and her designs have been featured in popular jewelry project books. Visit her website BeadJewelry.net for more help and inspiration. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Wire Jewelry VISUAL Quick Tips By Chris Franchetti Michaels John Wiley & Sons Copyright © 2009 Chris Franchetti Michaels All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-470-34384-5 Chapter One Jewelry Making Wire Wire is available in many different types, sizes, colors, shapes, and metals. Use this chapter to review wire terminology and to learn how to determine which wire you should use for a given project. Types of Jewelry Wire 4 Jewelry Wire Metals 5 Wire Shape 10 Wire Gauge 11 Wire Temper 12 Wire Finishes and Treatments 13 Wire Care 14 Types of Jewelry Wire You can make wire jewelry with just about any wire that is soft and easy to bend. Generally, the wire sold at bead shops or through jewelry supply companies for "wirework" or "wire wrapping" will work well, but so will some wire that you find at the hardware store. (See "Jewelry Wire Metals" on the next page.) Wire that is labeled as "craft wire" may or may not be appropriate for jewelry making. Wire made mostly of copper, like much of the color-coated wire sold through craft stores, is easy to bend into the shapes of jewelry components (although its color coating can be scratched by your pliers or hammer). Wire that is made of tempered steel or other stiff metals, including some floral wire, is usually not recommended. (Tempered wire is wire that has been hardened; see "Wire Temper" on p. 12.) When in doubt, try to obtain a sample of wire to experiment with. Also check the packaging or ask your supplier what material the wire is made from. TIP Do not confuse wire used for wire-jewelry making with beading wire (also called bead stringing wire). The wire used to make wire jewelry is solid metal, whereas beading wire is flexible, nylon-coated cable used for stringing beads but not for wrapping beads or constructing components. Jewelry Wire Metals Both base metal and precious metal wires are used in jewelry making. The most popular base metals are copper, plated copper, nickel, and brass. Precious metals include sterling silver, fine silver, and gold-filled metals (often called "gold-fill"). Some of these metals can tarnish, or take on a darker color over time. For information about polishing them, see "Polishing Techniques" on p. 204 in the Appendix. COPPER WIRE Copper is one of the best metals to work with because it's easy to bend into nicely rounded curves. It has a feel similar to sterling silver, but is much less expensive. This makes it a great metal to use for practice. You can also use copper wire to make prototypes, or experimental mock-ups, of new designs. A potential downside of copper is that it tarnishes very easily. It may also develop a scaly green coating when it's exposed to excess moisture. In sufficient quantities, this coating, called verdigris, can be toxic. For this reason, some people prefer not to wear copper jewelry. At minimum, some people find that copper temporarily stains their skin if they wear it for long periods of time. You can purchase copper wire from jewelry supply companies, wire manufacturers, bead stores, craft stores, and even hardware stores. BRASS WIRE Brass is an alloy, or mixture, of copper and zinc. It ranges in color from br
ASIN: 0470343842
VSKU: RDV.0470343842.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Michaels, Chris Franchetti
Binding: Spiral_bound
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