Silver Viking Weave Necklace With Pearls

Just finished this - making two identical for a friend to give as Christmas gifts.  The second one still needs the clasp.  This is approximately 60 feet of 26 ga sterling wire, woven around a dowel and drawn through a draw plate through successively smaller holes until it is tight.

The pendant is fine silver, dapped, with a freshwater pearl dangle.  The clasp is pewter, sterling, freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals.  I'm very happy with it.  I think I'll make the pearl jump ring a little smaller so it dangles instead of hitting bottom.  :)  When my e-commerce site goes live in January, I'll have professional photos and these will be for sale on a commission basis, with choices of metals and stones.

Got Pearls?

So...in 2006 I went to a bead and gem show when I was living in Richmond, VA.  I went on the last day of the show - you know how that goes.  Everything is marked waaaay down because those vendors don't want to pack it up and take it home.  I spent $300 that day and I'm still using up that stock.  I bought these pearls simply because they were so pretty.  I wasn't a very good beader then, and I had no clue how to use them.  So they sat.  And sat.  And moved when I moved.  They got looked at, fondled, arranged, and finally, yesterday, I decided to use them.  This is the beginning of a sterling bangle that will have the teardrop pearls wired on one side and probably 8mm jet Swarovski on the other side.  Onyx would be better, but I'm out.  The Swarovski top-drilled bicone is set off-center because the other side will have one set just off center in the other direction. 

Once finished the entire piece will be wrapped with 28 ga fine silver, and all wires that show will be brought in close with pliers and tucked in before the final wrap starts.  The clasp will be an S-hook with a closed end. 

Doesn't look like much now, but I'll photo again when finished.  It'll be an interesting contrast of black and white.  I think it'll turn out well.  We'll see.  :)

Silver Filled Wire vs Sterling Silver or Fine Silver

As a rule, I've always worked in sterling silver or fine silver.  With the price as it is right now, it's affordable, but if what I've been reading is any indication, silver is about to skyrocket and by 2014, will be unaffordable for the average artisan.  Silver filled wire is an excellent alternative.  It wears the same as sterling, it works just as well, as long as you don't use abrasives to polish or buff it.  You have to be careful with that because in polishing and buffing, you will wear away layers of silver and base metal may start to show.

People who say they can only wear gold or silver can also wear silver filled or gold filled jewelry.  It lasts very well, is a fraction of the price of the precious metal, and if taken care of, will last just as long.  I have gold filled pieces that are more than 100 years old and still have the luster of high karat gold, so don't let your customers think they're getting any less for their money.

Silver filled metal and wire is made according to the diagram graciously provided by Rio Grande, pictured below:

I intend to start using this for all my head and eye pins and ear wires.  I will always have sterling on hand for those customers who absolutely insist on sterling earwires, but if a customer is willing to be educated, they will see that this is a fabulous alternative and it makes the jewelry affordable to them.  If silver goes higher than $50 a troy ounce, as it's predicted to go - some say as high as $250 a troy ounce, who will be able to afford to buy it, and/or buy pieces made with it?  I don't know about you, but my small sales are the bread and butter of my business.  The earrings I currently sell for $20 would wind up being more than $100 a pair and I don't think my customers would buy.  They can't afford it.  

Give it a try.  It works just as well as sterling or fine silver.  It solders well (use silver solder) and it patinates just as well as sterling or fine silver.  

Viking Weave Bracelet With Freshwater Pearls

Just finished this today.  The bracelet is viking weave done with 30 ga dead soft fine silver wire, and the pearls are 3mm freshwater gray pearls wired to the weave.  This is my first attempt at viking weave with precious metal - I practiced once on some nasty brass wire, got the hang of it and made this.  The chain came out a bit too flexible for my taste, so I decided to wire the clusters of pearls to give it some strength.  I used grape leaf motif bead caps to finish the ends, since the pear clusters reminded me of grape clusters.  I don't like the black crystals on the ends, so will probably take them off and just use the sterling beads. I think the grape leaf bead ends are a bit heavy for it, both aesthetically and weight-wise, but I didn't have any others in sterling at this point.    It's not perfect, but not bad for a second try!

Sterling Silver Woven Wire Fish Earrings

These are my latest creation:  Sterling frames wrap/woven with 28 ga dead soft fine silver, and Swarovski beads.  The earwires are handmade as well.  These take about 90 min per earring to make and while easy to make, it can get tricky keeping the weave tight, especially as you get toward the top.