Many Thanks, Scott David Plumlee Copyright Scott David Plumlee, all rights reserved

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Judith Gregory
6 years ago
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I challenge myself to create innovative chain designs by utilizing curiosity as a guide and creativity as a catalyst to find new solutions to the age-old

Over the past decade, I have found that the path of least resistance in creating new designs is simply to be aware of the possibilities within the happy

1 I challenge myself to create innovative chain designs by utilizing curiosity as a guide and creativity as a catalyst to find new solutions to the age-old question of how to combine silver and gemstones. Over the past decade, I have found that the path of least resistance in creating new designs is simply to be aware of the possibilities within the happy accident and explore my imagination with reckless abandonment. By employing creativity, I can turn the intangible images in my mind from sketchbook into sterling silver wire creations that are comfortable to wear and stunning to behold. Many Thanks, Scott David Plumlee

Wire Metal wire is the basic ingredient of chain making.

Half-hard wire strength is recommended as a desired balance between being so soft that the pliers mar the wire, or so hard as to create unneeded diameter increasing spring-back when wrapping jump

Here is a list of five metals that are used throughout this book. Traditional sterling silver, often marked 925, is a silver alloy composed of smelting 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper.

2 Wire Metal wire is the basic ingredient of chain making. Round wire is preferred, as different wire profiles (such as square, triangular, or half-round) greatly complicate the jump ring making process. Half-hard wire strength is recommended as a desired balance between being so soft that the pliers mar the wire, or so hard as to create unneeded diameter increasing spring-back when wrapping jump rings. Pure metals are for the most part too soft for chain making, so we work with metal alloys, which are composed of several metals that have been melted together to produce a superior end product. Here is a list of five metals that are used throughout this book. Traditional sterling silver, often marked 925, is a silver alloy composed of smelting 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper. Sterling silver can be polished to bright white shine, yet the small amount of copper causes the metal to tarnish to a dull gray over time, but is best for the patina darkening process. Argentium sterling silver, often marked A925, is a silver alloy composed of smelting 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper, and a pinch of germanium. This small amount of germanium creates a germanium oxide on the surface of the wire, which does not allow the copper to easily tarnish. Argentium sterling silver not only yields more tarnish-resistance than traditional sterling, but is best for making headpin wires. Gold-filled has a layer of 14K gold alloy bonded to the outside of a base wire. With 14/20 GF wire, 1/20 th of the wire s weight is a thin layer of 14-karat gold that is heat and pressure bonded to the outside of a less expensive base metal wire, typically brass. Since the base metal is sealed within the bonded gold, it cannot leach out and tarnish the wire. Jeweler s Bronze, actually a brass alloy, is composed of smelting 85% copper with 15% zinc. Bronze wire resembles a low-karat gold in color when clean, yet tarnishes quite readily to a rich warm brown color. Copper is a pure metal, which becomes a brass when alloyed. It is quite inexpensive and readily available at your hardware store as electrical wiring. Copper is a lovely reddish-brown color when clean, yet it is a highly reactive metal that will quickly tarnish to a dull black color. IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT SILVER METALS There are three varieties of silver metal wire available, fine silver (top wire, stamped 999 ), Argentium sterling silver (middle wire, stamped A925 ), and traditional sterling silver (bottom wire, stamped sterling ); each has slightly different working properties, but all three look exactly alike in the raw round wire form. Here is an easy way to identify your silver wire. If you heat each of the three wires to a dull red color, the fine silver (top wire) will remain shiny, while the two sterling silver wires will darken with a yellowish hue. This test will help to identify and separate fine silver from sterling silvers. Next, heat each wire until it melts and pulls up into a ball (see pages 16-17). The fine silver (top) will have a shiny ball with a sharp angle between wire and ball, Argentium sterling silver (middle) will have a matte ball with a smooth transition between wire and ball, while traditional sterling silver (bottom) will have a roughly-textured blackened ball.

Large Argentium Headpins Invented by Peter Johns, Argentium sterling silver is a silver alloy that provides numerous advantages over traditional sterling silver. Traditional sterling is 92.

This small amount of germanium, when heated, migrates to the surface where it forms a thin layer of germanium oxide that will prevent the copper from darkening the silver s surface.

This technique, known as teardropping, allows the studio jeweler to create aesthetically pleasing headpins from any gauge of Argentium sterling silver wire with a simple propane torch.

3 Large Argentium Headpins Invented by Peter Johns, Argentium sterling silver is a silver alloy that provides numerous advantages over traditional sterling silver. Traditional sterling is 92.5% silver with the remaining 7.5% mostly copper, while Argentium sterling is also 92.5% silver, yet some of the copper has been substituted with a metalloid called germanium. This small amount of germanium, when heated, migrates to the surface where it forms a thin layer of germanium oxide that will prevent the copper from darkening the silver s surface. This gemanium oxide layer also decreases reticulation (wrinkling) of the silver s surface so the heated Argentium wire can pull up into a perfectly smooth teardrop-shaped ball. This technique, known as teardropping, allows the studio jeweler to create aesthetically pleasing headpins from any gauge of Argentium sterling silver wire with a simple propane torch. A propane torch, available at your hardware store, is best suited as a stationary flame for teardropping Argentium silver wire into a headpin. Before using a propane torch, please seek advice and a demonstration from your local hardware store. Be sure to take the following precautions: Always hold the wire you are heating in a pair of pliers; repetitive teardropping will cause the heat to conduct through the pliers and start to melt the plastic handle guards, so switch out pliers when they get warm; melting metal emits toxic fumes, so always work in a well-ventilated studio (I use a fan that blows across my face to dissipate the fumes). Tools: Propane torch; lighter, pliers; calipers; and a Solderite pad. Materials: 16-gauge, 1½-inch Argentium sterling silver wires. The large Argentium headpins will serve as the backbone for the jewelry projects in the Tear-Loop Chapter (page 50). Each Tear-Loop wire starts as a 1½-inch (3.8cm) length of 16-gauge Argentium sterling silver wire with a ½-inch (1.3cm) tail that is bent at a 45-degree angle. This ½-inch length will later be wrapped into a small loop, but for now this bend will save your pliers from direct contact with the torch s flame. Following the heating process on the next page, each ½-inch wire tail is held in a pair of pliers and the opposite end of the wire is heated with a propane torch until it balls up into a 3.2mm diameter teardrop. A 3.2mm teardrop will consume 5 / 8 -inch (1.6cm) of 16-gauge wire, which will leave a 3 / 8 - inch (0.95cm) gap of round wire between the teardrop and wire bend. 4

Start your propane torch with a lighter and adjust the gas pressure to create a one-inch blue flame.

4 Before we begin, assemble all the necessary tools and materials. I recommend that you dim the lights to better see the subtle color changes of the Argentium silver as it transforms from a solid to a liquid state. Start your propane torch with a lighter and adjust the gas pressure to create a one-inch blue flame. If the gas does not ignite, turn down the gas pressure (clockwise) and continue to strike the lighter until it catches, and then turn up the gas pressure (counter-clockwise) to the desired one-inch blue flame. To achieve a 3.2mm diameter teardrop, you will need to keep the tip of the wire touching the point of the blue flame for roughly 16 seconds, as described below. 8 seconds 12 seconds 16 seconds 1. Hold the ½-inch wire tail length with the flat-nose pliers and bring the wire tip to the point of the blue flame, keeping these two tips touching as the wire end begins to melt at the 8 second count. 2. As the teardrop begins to swell up into a ball, at the 12 second count, it will also travel up the wire length, which will require you to bring your hand holding the pliers downward to keep the teardrop touching the point of the blue flame. CAUTION: If you heat the wire too long and the teardrop swells to over 4mm in diameter, it will fall from the wire and splatter on your work surface, sending redhot balls of silver everywhere. Until you get your timing dialed-in, I would advise working over a bowl of water to catch your accidentally-dropped tears. 3. At the 16 second count, when the teardrop reaches the desired diameter, pull the metal from the flame and allow it to air cool for a few seconds, then place the heated wire down on the Solderite pad to completely cool down. Once cool, measure the teardrop s diameter with digital calipers to confirm that it is 3.2mm in diameter; if not, adjust your timing to reach this size. After heating a half dozen wires, you will want to change pliers, as they will begin to heat up by conduction from the held wire. 5

Beaded Triad Earrings The Beaded Triad Earrings design allows three gold beads to be suspended on three Tear-Loop wires, connected in the center to create a three-pointed Triad formation.

spiraled into place. This beaded chain pattern creates a dangling Triad formation with an aesthetic balance of silver and gold. Tools: Two flat-nose pliers; round-nose pliers (2.

5 Beaded Triad Earrings The Beaded Triad Earrings design allows three gold beads to be suspended on three Tear-Loop wires, connected in the center to create a three-pointed Triad formation. Three beaded Tear-Loop wires are assembled into the three-pointed shape by connecting each loop to the next Tear-Loop wire between the bead and loop, which requires the third Tear-Loop wire to be spiraled into place. This beaded chain pattern creates a dangling Triad formation with an aesthetic balance of silver and gold. Tools: Two flat-nose pliers; round-nose pliers (2.8mm); sidecutters; propane torch; Solderite pad; proper ventilation; and a pickle cleaning solution. Materials: Six 16-gauge, 1½-inch Argentium sterling silver wires; six 8mm gold beads; and two 19-gauge, 2-inch gold headpins for earring backs. 1. Cut six 1½-inch (3.8cm) wire lengths, bending a ½-inch (1.3cm) wire tail at 45-degrees, and use a propane torch to create a 3.2mm teardrop ball (page 17). Clean the teardropped wires in a pickle solution, and then add one gold bead to each wire. These hollow gold beads are 8mm in diameter with a matte finish and have a.096 (2.4mm) hole size. 4

2. Grip each beaded wire with the round-nose pliers (2.

beaded Tear-Loop wire, just like a jump ring. 4.

the 2 nd Tear-Loop (red) around the 1 st Tear- Loop s wire, between the

Add the 3 rd Tear-Loop (green) spiraling its open loop through the 1 st

Spiral the 3 rd Tear-Loop s open loop (green) around the 2 nd Tear-Loop

6 2. Grip each beaded wire with the round-nose pliers (2.8mm) and bend the ½-inch tail into a small loop to create six beaded Tear-Loop wires. 3. Use a pair of flat-nose pliers to twist open the small loop of each beaded Tear-Loop wire, just like a jump ring. 4. Close the loop of the 1 st Tear-Loop (blue), and then close the loop of the 2 nd Tear-Loop (red) around the 1 st Tear- Loop s wire, between the bead and loop. 5. Add the 3 rd Tear-Loop (green) spiraling its open loop through the 1 st Tear-Loop s closed loop (blue). 6. Spiral the 3 rd Tear-Loop s open loop (green) around the 2 nd Tear-Loop s wire (red) between the bead and loop. 7. Close the loop of the 3 rd Tear-Loop (green) to create a three-pointed beaded Triad formation, and add the earring back through one of the loops. Repeat steps 4-7 to complete a matching pair of Beaded Triad Earrings. 5

Copper Cone Earrings Sharilyn Miller

Copper Cone Earrings Sharilyn Miller By Sharilyn Miller Wubbers Jumbo Tapered Round Mandrel Pliers are perfect for creating a cool pair of copper-wire cone earrings! I used 12-gauge half-round wire to make the cones in this sample pair. Half-round