Wire wrapping is among the earliest forms of handmade jewelry. Dating back to 2000 B.C., wire has been used to secure and frame both found and created elements. It is a dynamic way to create jewelry with tension and shaping of wire.
"Wirework was discovered in ancient tombs," explained Judi Wild, wire instructor at the William Holland School of Lapidary. "Wire wrapping is used to make a much more elegant piece than its individual materials would indicate. No heat, glue or solder; just tension and shaping of the wire make the piece come together."
Wild explained that wire wrapping has changed over time. It continues to change and yet stays the same as pieces include polished cabochons as well as other mediums such as glass, intarsia, gemstones, beads and shells. The ongoing changes in wire work keep it fresh, new and modern.
Wild started as a student of wire work at William Holland learning the foundations of traditional wire wrapping that she now teaches. And while different styles help capture the types of stones one wants to wrap; she also prepares her students to create professional fine jewelry-level wire wrapping.
WIRE WRAPPING TECHNIQUES
From the beginner to the experienced professional, here are some techniques that represent the diversity of wire.
Prongs - Wild explains that she teaches how to build prongs as one of the central techniques to wire wrapping. Prongs are often seen in rings that hold gemstones. They are a durable way of setting an element in a wire piece. Prongs create a seat for the stone and become part of the puzzle of a larger wire structure.
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
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This story is from the May 2023 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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MORGAN HILL POPPY JASPER
In California, there are very few places to collect semi-precious stones. Many locations from the past have been either exhausted of the material or the land has been developed.
THE ACORN
The briolette gemstone has the same design attributes of a regular gemstone, however, the pavilion is elongated and the crown is usually domed. This is perfect for an elegant pendant, earrings or a pendulum.
HOW TO PUT A PROTECTIVE CAP ON A CAB
To protect a specimen cab, often a cap is needed. In my case, I had a slab with the because of the color of the background and the pattern. This background had a more silicified consistency than most sandstones. It had no graininess like most sandstone, so I'm inclined to compare it to a jasper. The pattern was typical of a dendrite.
The Resilient Revival of Anne Brontë & Her Stones
For the first time, the Anne Brontë rock collection underwent complete description and identification, and along with Professor Hazel Hutchison of Leeds University and Dr. Enrique Lozano Diz at ELODIZ (a company specializing in spectroscopy analysis), an analysis of that collaboration, Anne Brontë and Geology: A Study of her Collection of Stones, was published in April 2022 in Volume 47, Issue 2 of the peer-reviewed journal, Brontë Studies & Gazette.\"
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