I very seldom design a jewelry piece for myself.  For my family members I design jewelry all the time, but I have my favorites I wear and usually just change a watch or bracelet to fit my mood.  With this said, I just completed a bracelet I made just for me.  I did design a similar bracelet for my daughter with matching earrings at the same time using the same techniques.

Most of the jewelry magazines showing trends for the spring and summer are showing lots of metal — chains, charms, wire work and stamped metal rings.  Mixed media is huge with designers mixing glass, pearls, crystals and wood all together in one necklace.  Lots of fiber and silk cords are strung in around and through beads and chain alike.  Dangles hang from everywhere in necklaces, bracelets and earrings. 

The one trend I see being shown over and over is the use of jump rings to create chain maille jewelry.  Designers are making their own chains combining textured rings and jump rings in several sizes and colors.  I have always been facinated by chain maille and decided to try my hand at it. 

I started out by making my own large jump rings from silver plated artistic wire that has a copper core and is heavily sterling silver plated and has a plastic coating to keep it shiny and non-tarnish.  I have one of the Beadalon jump ring tools with different size mandrels to make different size jump rings.  I used 18g wire for the large jump rings and added silver plated balls to each ring to cover the joint.  I used a two and two pattern closing two smaller jump rings I made to combine four of the large rings and continuing to use two small jump rings to combine four large rings until I had the length chain I wanted.  I used a 3 step looping plier to create various wire swirls, coils, and free form charms.  I created dangles from fire-polish glass beads and freshwater pearls to make bead charms.  I attached all of the charms to the smaller jump rings leaving the large rings unadorned.  I handcrafted a wire hook clasp to finish the bracelet. 

Look at the pictures below to see the finished result of my chain maille bracelets with wire and bead charms.  I am going to try a rosette pattern with the jump rings next and another pattern for chain. 

The following pictures show my finished bracelet and the bracelet I made my daughter with the matching earrings. 

My finished bracelet.

 Close up of rings and bead charms.

 My daughter’s bracelet with freshwater pearls and hematite beads.

 Close up view of charms and how they hang while wearing bracelet.

 The Earrings

You are invited to browse and shop in my stores: KC Bead Designs and KCBeadDesigns Jewelry and Variety anytime – 24/7. I hope you subscribe to “Reflections . . .” and enjoy sharing my passion for artisan jewelry.

’till next time!

Cheryl Skeens,
Jewelry Artist/Designer

KC Bead Designs
KCBeadDesigns Jewelry and Variety
~ New Items Added
Jewelry Artist Direct