For Love - Heart Link Chain and Embellished Earrings Tutorials

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Heart shapes are very popular in jewellery. Repetition of a simple shape in a design can create a striking effect, it is also the best way to master a technique and open spirals can be tricky!

By attaching faceted briolettes to a hammered heart frame, you can create sophisticated, eye catching jewellery, especially when paired with a pair of ‘Embellished Artisan earwires’.

The finished look of this design is greatly affected by your choice of shape and size of stone. Smaller briolettes give a subtle effect or larger ones can create a bold look!

Jewellery findings can be as ornately decorated as the jewellery they are attached to, so that they enhance the finished item. These embellished Artisan earwires can be coordinated to match your earrings, or left as plain wire, without the beads! Being able to make your own components for your jewellery not only makes the item truly handmade, it also means that you use up all those scraps of wire! This is a very robust clasp and yet due to its sleekness is also very stylish!

Hammered Link Chain/Bracelet Tutorial

Level: Easy
Page count: 15
Number of steps: 11

This lesson teaches you how to make little heart shaped frames and then how to hammer them.

The finished size of the bracelet is 7 1/2”. It is easy to adjust the size by adding or subtracting links or heart frames.

Techniques covered:
1. Shaping frame wires
2. Hammering
3. Forming Jump rings
4. Binding with thin wire
5. Forming a round loop

This tutorial is packed with tips, trouble shooting tricks and even has notes on a variation at the end. With over 40 close up colour photos, there is no room left for guesswork, as I walk you through the techniques required to make this beautiful piece of jewellery.

As with any written instruction, please read through at least once before starting.

Materials:
• 3” 12 gauge soft round wire
• 44” 18 gauge soft round wire
• 24” 28 gauge soft round wire
Tools:
• Round nose pliers
• Chain nose pliers
• Flat nylon jaw pliers
• Flush wire cutters
• Tape measure
• Chasing hammer
• Anvil or bench block
• Flat needle file
• 4mm mandrel (I use a drill bit)
• Sanding pads - 3 grits - 180, 220, 280

Embellished Heart Earrings tutorial:

Level: Easy
Page count: 23
Number of steps: 30

These earrings measure 2 1/4” tall from the top of the earwire to the bottom of the second briolette.

Techniques covered:
1. Hammering, filing and sanding
2. Embellishing with wire and beads
3. Shaping frame wires
4. Binding with thin wire
5. Forming a round loop
6. Attaching briolette beads to the frame
7. Weaving around frame and briolettes to secure in position

This tutorial is packed with tips, trouble shooting tricks and even has notes on a variation at the end. With over 60 close up colour photos, there is no room left for guesswork, as I walk you through the techniques required to make this beautiful piece of jewellery.

As with any written instruction, please read through at least once before starting.

Materials:
• 40” 28 gauge soft or half hard round wire
• 8” 18 gauge soft round wire
• 7” 20 gauge soft or half hard round wire
• 10 x 2 or 3mm roundel beads
• 2 x Teardrop Briolettes 6 x 3mm
• 2 x Teardrop Briolettes 6 x 4mm in contrasting colour
• 24” 28 gauge soft round wire
Tools:
• Round nose pliers
• Flat nose pliers
• Chain nose pliers
• Flat nylon jaw pliers
• Flush wire cutters
• Flat file
• Sanding pads (optional)
• Tape measure
• Marker pen
• Chasing hammer
• Anvil or bench block