n asymmetrical pendant (3 in. [76 mm] long) punctuates the predominant symmetry of this necklace-andearring set. intermediate wirework by Lilian hen with ddie Kidd Shape your leaf forms two at a time to make perfectly matched pairs. Symmetry can be beautiful. ut it can also be an annoying goal to try to achieve when you re shaping two wire leaves by hand and trying to get them to match. I used to create one link and then painstakingly shape another in hopes of matching it. ut now I ve discovered that it s easier to shape two links at once. To make each set of leaf forms, I fold one long wire in half and then bend both halves TWIN SET together, shaping them as one. Wire When I m done, I snip them apart at the initial bend, and I have two precisely matched forms. Symmetry Made Easy
1 2 5 6 3 4 9 NOTE: To create the fluid lines in this necklace-and-earring set, you ll take advantage of coiled sterling silver wire s inherent curve. So don t straighten your wire to measure it. See Measuring oiled Wire, opposite above, for tips on how to keep those lovely curves. Part 1: Earrings Prepare the large leaf forms. ut about 24 in. (61.0 cm) of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. Locate the center of the wire, and grasp it with chainnose pliers. Make a U bend () so that the two curved sides meet and parallel each other, creating one gently curved, doubled wire [1]. T-MW-103017-03 Make the large leaf forms. Work with chainnose pliers, grasping the doubled wire together to make each bend. Measure 21 2 in. (64 mm) from bend, and grasp the wire at that point (). end the shorter end of the wire over the pliers until it touches the longer end [2], creating bend. Measure 3 in. (76 mm) from bend. Make another bend () so the long wire parallels the first curve [3]. Measure 21 2 in. (64 mm) from bend on the long wire, and make another bend () [4]. Tighten bend so that the wire ends overlap the leaf form. inish the large leaf forms. olding the doubled wire together, adjust the curves 2009 Kalmbach Publishing o. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. 7 8 10 11 until you like how they look. Use wire cutters to snip the wire at bend you ll now have two mirrored leaf forms [5]. Establish the front side of one form. With the tip of your roundnose pliers, grasp the tip (previously bend ) of the shorter wire, and roll the pliers toward the back of the form, creating a small hook [6]. ttach the hook to the outside wire, creating a leaflike shape. Use flatnose pliers to crimp the hook closed [7]. Use wire cutters to trim the longer wire end 1 8 in. (3 mm) past where it crosses the outside wire. Use roundnose pliers to make a hook at the wire tip. ttach the hook to the outside wire, and crimp [8]. Lightly squeeze the leaflike forms together until they overlap slightly. You may have to squeeze more so that the wires overlap correctly when they spring back into position [9]. Repeat with the other large form, making sure that the position of the hooks and the smaller and larger leaf shapes mirrors the first leaf form. facetjewelry.com
measuring coiled wire Measuring along a curve can be tricky. You can t straighten the wire out too much or you ll lose the curve that you need. So what s a jeweler to do? Try these suggestions, or work out a system of your own. The initial longer measurements of each leaf form don t need to be precise. Pull the wire out just enough to roughly measure it while retaining its curve. or more accuracy, measure a piece of string to the length you need and hold the string along the wire to determine where to cut it. 1 Make the medium leaf forms. ut an 18-in. (45.7 cm) piece of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. Repeat the steps for making and finishing the large leaf forms, but adjust where you make the bends: Make bend 2 in. (51 mm) from bend, bend 2 1 4 in. (57 mm) from bend, and bend 2 in. (51 mm) from bend. Make the small leaf forms. ut a 10-in. (25.4 cm) piece of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. Repeat the steps for making and finishing the large leaf forms, but adjust where you make the bends: Make bend 1¼ in. (32 mm) from bend, bend 1½ in. (38 mm) from bend, and bend 1¼ in. (32 mm) from bend. omplete the earrings. Select one large, one medium, and one small leaf form that all match (i.e. the larger leaflike form is on the same side for all links). Open a jump ring, and slide it through the top bend of each form (make sure they re facing forward) in order from largest to smallest [10]. Open an ear wire and attach an optional jump ring, the jump ring connected to the leaf forms, and another optional jump ring. lose the ear wire [11]. Repeat to make the second earring. inish the leaf forms. Run your finger over each hook. If the metal feels rough, gently file it with a small, flat needle file. Part 2: Necklace orm the bail component. ut about 15 in. (38.1 cm) of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. (on t bend the wire in half.) Using chainnose pliers, grasp the wire 2 in. (51 mm) from one end. end the shorter end of the wire over the pliers until it touches the longer end, creating bend. rasp the shorter wire end with the tip of your roundnose pliers, and roll the pliers toward the back of the form, creating a small hook. ttach the hook to the longer wire, and use flatnose pliers to squeeze the hook closed [1]. Using chainnose pliers, grasp the longer wire next to the hook and bend the wire down, creating bend [2]. rasp the wire next to bend with roundnose pliers. Push the wire around your pliers to make an open loop () perpendicular to the leaf shape [3]. (The pendant will hang from this loop.) orming this loop will cause the curve of the wire to flip up so that you can use it to form the top curve of the next leaf shape. Using chainnose pliers, grasp the wire 2 in. (51 mm) from loop. Make a 45 bend 2 3 smoothly graduated, symmetrical necklace is easy to make with progressively sized pairs of matched links.
E 4 E 5 6 8 7 9 downward () so that the wire crosses itself. The working wire should rest in front of the newly created left leaf shape and behind the right leaf shape [4]. Using flatnose pliers, grasp the working wire and the main wire where they cross. Push the working wire around the back jaw of the pliers (E) [5]. The working wire should now be curving upward. Remove the pliers, and use them to crimp bend E against the left leaf shape [6]. The working wire should now extend in an arc up to the top of the left leaf shape. Using wire cutters, trim the working wire to 1 8 in. (3 mm) beyond the leaf shape. arefully pull the end of the wire through the leaf shape from the back to the front. Make a small hook at the end of the wire. ttach the hook to the top wire of the left leaf shape, and squeeze the hook closed with flatnose pliers. Prepare the large leaf forms. ut about 12 in. (30.5 cm) of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. Locate the center of the wire, and grasp it 10 with chainnose pliers. Make a U bend () so that the two curved sides meet and parallel each other, creating one gently curved doubled wire [7]. Using chainnose pliers, grasp the doubled wire 13 4 in. (44 mm) from bend. end the shorter end of the doubled wire over the pliers until it nearly touches the longer end [8]. This will create bend. Using wire cutters, snip bend [9]. Set one wire form aside. Make the large leaf forms. On one wire form, use roundnose pliers to make a hook at the tip (previously bend ) of the shorter wire [10]. ttach the hook to the longer end. Use flatnose pliers to crimp the hook. Use roundnose pliers to grasp the wire above the hook. Push the wire, from back to front, over one jaw of the pliers () [11]. The working wire should now arc down, overlapping the right side of the leaf shape. Trim the working wire 1 8 in. (3 mm) beyond the leaf shape. Make a hook at the end of the wire, but don t attach it yet. 11 Repeat to make the second large leaf form, but reverse the direction of the bends (make sure the ends of the hooks are hidden at the back of each piece) so that this leaf form mirrors the first. Prepare and make the medium, small, and extra-small leaf forms. ollow the steps for preparing and making the large leaf forms to make the remaining leaf forms. You should have two leaf forms in each size and each set of two should be mirror images of each other. or the medium leaf forms, cut about 11 in. (27.9 cm) of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. fter making bend, measure 15 8 in. (41 mm) to make bend. or the small leaf forms, cut about 10 in. (25.4 cm) of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. fter making bend, measure 11 2 in. (38 mm) to make bend. or the extra-small leaf forms, cut about 9 in. (22.9 cm) of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. fter making bend, measure 13 8 in. (35 mm) to make bend.
12 13 materials Sterling silver wire: 20-gauge (0.8 mm), half-hard, 4 yd. (3.7 m) Pair of ear wires 2 6 jump rings: 6 mm inside diameter tools & supplies Pliers: roundnose, chainnose, flatnose Wire cutters Needle files 14 15 16 onnect the leaf forms. Select a large leaf form. Slip the unattached end through the leaf on the right side of the bail component. (The bail component s leaf tip [bend ] will rest in the large leaf form s bend.) Make sure that both components are facing forward. Now attach the large leaf s hook. Pinch the hook closed with flatnose pliers [12]. ttach the second large leaf form to the other side of the bail, connecting the second large leaf s bend to the bail component s bend. Repeat to attach the remaining leaf forms in graduated order, connecting the bend of each new link to the bend of each previous link. Make the clasp-hook form. ut about 7 in. (17.8 cm) of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. (on t bend the wire in half.) Using chainnose pliers, grasp the wire 1 3 4 in. (44 mm) from one end. end the shorter end of the wire over the pliers until it nearly touches the longer end (this will create bend ). Then, follow the instructions for making the large leaf forms. (on t make a second clasp hook.) ecause of the longer initial measurement, this leaf will have an elongated point. ttach the clasp-hook form to the right-hand end of the necklace. Using roundnose pliers, grasp the form s elongated tip () and bend it over the pliers toward the back of the link to form a hook [13]. (You may need to pinch this tip together with flatnose pliers so that it hooks easily through the clasp-eye form.) Make the clasp-eye form. ut a 9-in. (22.9 cm) piece of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. ollow the earring instructions to make one medium leaf form. (Skip the U-bend step; since you re only making one link, there s no need to double the wire.) ttach the leaf form to the left end of the necklace. Squeeze the ends of the form until they overlap enough to stay securely on the chain [14]. TIP: You can slightly adjust the length of your chain by hooking the clasp hook to different points on the claspeye form [15]. You can also easily make your chain larger or smaller by adjusting the size of your clasp-eye form. Make and attach the pendant. ut a 12-in. (30.5 cm) piece of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire. ollow the earring instructions to make one large leaf form. (Skip the U-bend step; since you re only making one leaf form, there s no need to double the wire.) Squeeze the ends of the leaf form until they overlap. Make sure that the necklace and pendant are both facing forward, and slide the pendant onto the chain so that it rests in loop of the bail component [16]. inish the leaf forms. Run your finger over each hook. If the metal feels rough, gently file it with a small, flat needle file.