Creative Jewelry Project: A Guide for the Novice Wire Wrapper

If you enjoy the look of tumbled stones or crystals that have been expertly wrapped in wire, you might not realize how easy it is to create your own wire wrapped pieces. If you want to start making your own pieces, here is an outline of the basic steps.

Step # 1: Choose the Right Rock

Believe it or not, the center of a good piece of wire wrapped jewelry is not necessarily the wire. Nine times out of ten, the focal point of the piece will be the stone. There are many criteria that can be used to pick the proper rock for your piece. One of the most popular characteristics of a good stone is the clarity, or the ability of light to pass through the stone. Many beautiful pieces of jewelry have been created around the idea of someone gazing deeply into the depths of a crystal.

Another great characteristic for choosing a stone for wire wrapping is to choose something with a unique shape or color scheme. One of the most popular pieces that I have done was when I took some copper wire and wrapped it around an azurite stone. Azurite is a darker blue stone that is commonly seen with malachite, which is a bright green mineral. When they exist together, they often give the impression of a vibrant earth with deep blue water and lush forests. Now just imagine this visual wrapped in wire in such a way to show off the colors that draw you to the pendant.

Of course, when you choose the correct stone to wrap, it's always a good idea to take into account the overall shape of the rock. Any rock or stone can be wrapped, but ones that don't have areas for the wire to lay in have to be a bit more complicated in their design. So for your first few pieces, it's a good idea to find rocks that will allow the wire to lay on the rock with out too much slipping.

Step # 2: Choose the Correct Wire

This is perhaps one of the most important steps in creating a piece of wire wrapped jewelry. If you choose a wire that is too thin, or the wrong color, it can be lost in the stone instead of being an accent. If the wire is too thick it will swallow up the stone. Usually a wire gauge of between 20 and 24 is good range to work with. Remember, the higher the gauge number, the thinner the wire. The best place to look for wrapping wire is at your local craft store. The craft wire found there is usually copper filled wire, which is extremely easy to bend and shape. In addition, it also comes in a large variety of colors, making it easy to choose a color to compliment your jewelry design

Step # 3: Create a Spine

The first true wire wrapping step in this technique is to create a spine of wire. This is created by taking the piece of wire and creating a loop that will run the length of the stone. In addition, this loop will eventually create the eye piece from which your pendant will hang. Once you have created this loop, gently twist it until approximately 3/4 of the loop is twisted, leaving the last 1/4 to create the eye piece. Now, place the stone in the desired orientation on the spine.

Step #4: Start Wrapping.

This is perhaps the most difficult step to describe in this process; it relies heavily on your coordination, your eye for detail, and your willingness to practice and reform the wire wrap as needed. The first piece of advice that I would offer would be to start from the bottom with the longer end of the wire and start creating a cradle to hold the stone in. Some people accomplish this task by wrapping the wire around the stone in a slightly loose spiral pattern. Others create the cradle by creating a cross pattern at the bottom of the stone for it to sit upon. You might find an easier and better way to wrap your stone. The important part is to make sure that the stone is secure, and yet allow the crystal to shine through.

After your stone is secure in the wire wrapping masterpiece is secure, you have the option of placing a few drops of superglue or adhesive along the spine of the creation for added security. Just make sure that the glue dries before you attach it to your favorite necklace.

Remember, as in any project, your first few attempts will not be perfect. The great thing about wire wrapping is that it's fairly easy to change course or even start over again. So give it a try!