Creating Wire-Wrapped Jewelry, Step-by-Step

My five-step process.

I’ve been making (and tweeting about) the wire wrapped jewelry (my hobby gone wild) that I picked up this past winter in Quartzsite, AZ for about three months now.

I currently do one style of wire-wrapped jewelry; there are many. The work I do features multiple thicker wires bound together info frames using a thinner wire. My wire wraps are tiny and as close to “perfect” as I can get them. Another style, which I’d like to explore — possibly next year with a tutor — uses a single thicker wire, often hammered flat, to wrap the stone in a more freestyle look.

I thought I’d take a few moments to provide some basic how-to information to give readers an idea of what I do and what it entails. True to my how-to book author roots, I’ve broken it down into five steps. Here they are.

Step 1: Choose a stone and wire for the job.

Bull Canyon Agate
For this example, I chose a 57mm long Bull Canyon Agate cabochon. This is a little larger than most of the stones I use.

Wire Reels
I buy wire in bulk from RioGrande.com. For this project, I used 22 gauge square and half-round dead soft sterling silver wire.

I start by going into my collection of cabochons and choosing a stone I feel like working with. Maybe I have an idea I’ve come up with while doing something else during the day. Or maybe I want to try a wrap similar to one I’ve seen in a video. Or maybe I’ve realized that a certain color is missing from my collection of finished pieces and I choose a stone to fill in that gap.

For some stones, I get to choose which end is up. (Actually, I can do that for all of the stones, but certain shapes are easier to wrap when held in certain orientations; for example, teardrop shapes are best wrapped with the pointy end up, although I have wrapped them with the pointy end down.) I hold the stone in a variety of directions and decide which looks best.

Then I choose the wire. I use thinner wire for smaller stones because I don’t want the wire to hide the stone. I use more wires for thicker stones because I want the sides of the stones suitably covered. I use dead soft sterling silver wire for just about all the pieces I create now, although I do have some copper wire on standby if I feel like working with copper. (So far, all the pieces I’ve sold have been silver-wrapped, so I have to assume copper is less desirable.) I always keep 21 and 22 gauge square wire and 22 gauge half-round wire in stock.

By the time I’ve selected the stone and wire, I already have an idea for the style of wrap I’m going to do.

Step 2: Create the frame.

Started Frame
For this frame, I created three anchor wraps and made tight bends so the stone would fit snugly.

Open Frame
Here’s the same frame after making the bends at the top. A stone like this is tough because not only do the corner bends need to fit the stone exactly, but the top bends need to meet exactly in the middle.

The stone is held in place by a frame. Creating the frame normally entails using half-round wire to secure the thicker wires together in anchor wraps and then bending the thicker wires into a shape that will completely surround the stone.

The number of anchor wraps I do varies depending on the size of the stone and the style of the wrap, although I normally do two to four of these wraps. For example, if I’m working with a small oval or teardrop shape, I can probably get away with just two anchor wraps, one near each side of the bottom of the stone. If I’m working with a larger or odd-shaped cabochon, I’ll use more anchor wraps.

The bends must exactly match the stone. This is probably one of the trickiest parts, especially when dealing with odd-shaped stones. If I put a bend in the wrong place, I have to straighten the wires and then rebend them.

Step 3: Complete the frame and create the bail.

Closing Up the Top
I use the half-round wire to close up the top with tight wraps around all six wires.

Starting the Bail
Then I separate out the two back wires and wrap them separately to start the bail.

Wrapped Bail
I continue wrapping until I have enough wrapped wires to create the bail.

Completing the frame means closing up the gab at the top of the frame with wire wraps. This is probably the most difficult part of the process; the finished frame has to be the exact size and shape of the stone.

Sometimes I’ll finish the frame with the stone taped inside it using masking or painters tape. But as my skills improve, I’m able to finish the frame without the stone in place.

Once the frame is closed I usually follow up by wrapping two of the six or more wires sticking out the top and bending them back to create the bail. Sometimes I finish the bail then, before the stone is secured; other times, I wait until after I’ve secured the stone to finish it.

Step 4: Secure the stone and (if necessary) complete the bail.

Starting to Secure
In this example, I’ve begun bending the front of the frame to hold the stone before inserting the stone. Doing this makes it easier for me to do the bends without scratching the silver wire.

This step is crucial and can be tricky. I need to get the stone into the frame and then carefully bend the frame wires so they hold the stone in place.

The hard part is making sure the bends are the same on both sides of the stone; if the stone’s shape is symmetrical, it’s important (at least to me) to have symmetry in the wires that hold it in place. The harder part is making these bends without scratching the metal with my tools. I use my thumbnail a lot as a tool — it won’t scratch metal — and it’s really screwing up my thumbnails.

Front Back
Here’s the front and back of the piece once the stone has been secured. Although I concentrate my efforts on the front, which is what most people will see, I try to make the back even, too.

Once the stone has been secured, front and back, I can finish the bail (If I haven’t done so already) by securing the tail end either with half-round wire or one or two of the loose frame wires.

Finishing the Bail Finished Bail
In this example, I’ve finished off the bail by using the two loose ends of the bail wires and wrapping them around the top of the piece. I then trimmed off the excess and tucked them into the back of the frame.

Step 5: Add decorative flourishes, trim off excess wire, and tuck in all wire ends.

At this point, I have a stone secured in a wire frame with a bail and four or more frame wires poking out the top. I need to take those wires and creatively finish them off.

This is where the swirls at the top of each of my pieces come from. There are all kinds of things I can do. I like draping the wire around the base of the bail or creating loops in front of the bail, but I occasionally bring the wire down into the piece and finish with a loop.

I cut off all wire beyond what I need and finish the cut edges, which could be sharp, by tucking them into the metal work or creating tiny loops. After some final adjustments, the piece is done.

Finished Front Finished Back
Here’s the finished piece, front and back. I don’t usually leave the wire ends visible in the back of pieces, but for this piece, I wanted a little extra security for the stone.

It Takes Time

It takes me from one to three hours to make a piece of jewelry.

I don’t rush. I’d like to do it in 90 minutes or less, but I still sometimes have trouble with steps 3 and 4 above. I’ve learned that some shapes of stones are easier to work with than others and when I want to do a piece quickly, I work with an easier stone.

I’ve also learned that the more I try to get experimental, the more likely I am to struggle. Still, if I don’t try new techniques, I won’t improve my skills and learn what works and what doesn’t work.

Try It!

This blog post isn’t enough info to try it for yourself; you really need to see it done to do it. If you can’t get one-on-one instruction like I did, you can try videos on YouTube. Although an earlier post on this topic linked to one or two wire wrap jewelry videos there, I’ve since found a better artist: OxanaCrafts. The work she does, although often a lot more ornate than I do or like, is quite similar to what I do and I’ve gotten a lot of ideas from watching her videos. I credit her for the neatly wrapped bails I’ve been doing in almost all of my recent pieces. But while her work seems to feature the actual wire work, I prefer to feature the stones. That’s the main reason my wraps are simpler than hers — and my stones are usually a lot more interesting.

Want a good basic tutorial? Try this one: Quick Beginner Wire Wrap. Just keep in mind that a single anchor point, as she uses in this video, probably won’t work for larger or thicker stones.

If you want to give it a go, remember that there are certain tools and wires that you’ll need to get started. You might find them at your local craft store; I got my start using silver plated copper “hobby wire” which I’ve seen in Michael’s and Hobby Lobby. Tools are important; don’t be tempted to use standard pliers you might get at the local hardware store. The ridges carved into these tools will mar the wire.

Nice cabochons are a little tougher to find; I get many of mine from gemstone dealers and rock and mineral shows. I choose my cabochons individually — and pay for them accordingly — but you can often buy them in lots. If you don’t care what your stones look like and just want cheap stones, this will probably work for you; try eBay. But if you care and don’t mind paying for quality, you’ll find that it’s worth the effort to find the stones you want.

A great source of quality wire, tools, and even cabochons to get you started is RioGrande. That’s where I buy my wire and I can’t say enough nice things about them. (Thanks, Dorothy, for recommending them!) I’m not sure if they sell the cheaper craft wire, although I know they do sell better quality silver, gold, and even platinum.

If you do try it — or if you have already created your own wire-wrapped jewelry pieces — please use the Comments for this post to share a link to your finished work. I’d love to see it.

Support My Jewelry Making Habit!

But you know what I’d really like? I’d really like it if you visited ML Jewelry Designs and picked out a piece of jewelry for yourself or a loved one. You can support my jewelry-making (and stone collecting) habit while getting a truly unique piece of wearable, handmade art. Many thanks to blog readers who have already done so!

And if you want this piece, you can find it here in my online store. But don’t wait; all of my pieces are one-of-a-kind and when this one is gone, it’ll be gone for good.

Jewelry Making: A Hobby Gone Wild

An update on my wire-wrapped jewelry endeavors.

By now, the folks who know me well know that my jewelry making hobby has blown up into something resembling an addiction. Indeed, it’s difficult for me to pass up a shop or website that offers gemstone cabochons (cabs, to those of us who work with these things) for sale without taking a look — and likely buying ones within my budget. I’ve now got a collection of about 4 dozen cabs in various shapes and sizes made of a stunning selection of stones. They’re almost all polished to a reflective shine. Just gorgeous.

The weird thing about this is that I’ve been going to Quartzsite, AZ where I bought about half the cabs I have now, for more than 20 years and saw cabs for sale every single year. It wasn’t until I realized what I could do with them that I began buying them. And when I started getting kind of good at turning them into jewelry, the draw became irresistible. I’ve since found a good supplier on Easy who sells decent quality stones at a reasonable price. I’ve bought two dozen from them in the past two weeks.

More about Cabochons

A cabochon, in case you’re wondering, is:

a gemstone which has been shaped and polished as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a convex (rounded) obverse with a flat reverse.

Nevada Dendritic Sage Agate Wrapped in Silver
Nevada Dendritic Sage Agate wrapped in sterling silver. I don’t think you can make a bad piece of jewelry out of such a nice stone — if you let the stone show.

Lapidaries create cabs by cutting stones into slabs, then cutting those slabs into shapes and polishing them with wheels of varying grits. I’ve seen guys do this and it looks like a ton of work. A good lapidary can produce beautiful cabs by finding the best features in a slab and featuring them in a finished cab. Those are the cabs I look for when I’m shopping.

Cabs range in size from very small — maybe 10 mm long — to quite large — over 50 mm on a side. I prefer them 30 to 45 mm long and 15 to 30 mm wide. Smaller than that and they’re tough to work with; larger and they make heavier pieces than I like.

Although I do like working with odd-shaped pieces, it’s a bit more challenging to get them properly wrapped. My skills aren’t quite reliable enough yet to tackle them successfully. So I stick with ovals, teardrops, and elongated pieces. I’m just starting to get the hang of dealing with square corners.

Turning Cabochons into Jewelry

There are basically three ways to turn a cab into a piece of jewelry:

  • Drill a hole in it and use that to secure a finding or beading string. Drilling a hole in a stone basically turns it into a bead. I don’t do this. I don’t like the idea of drilling into a beautiful stone or using a hole to secure it in jewelry. That’s my opinion. I’m sure a lot of beaders would disagree. Sorry. (I should add here that when working with very small stones, I think beading is the way to go. I may use gemstone beads as accents in future pieces; I’m still thinking about it.)
  • Use wire wrapping to secure the stone into the jewelry piece. This is what I do. There are several styles of wire-wrapping; the style I use is rather intricate, although I have experimented with simpler styles. I usually use 20 to 22 gauge square or round wire wrapped with 22 gauge half-round wire to create a custom frame for a stone, build a bail, and secure the stone into the frame. Then I use the excess frame wire to create accents with loops and swirls.
  • Cut and solder metal to create jewelry mounts for stones. This is another nice way to turn a cab into jewelry — especially if the cab’s reverse side is marred or unfinished. This is both harder and easier than wire-wrapping. It’s harder because you need good metal cutting and soldering skills. But, in a way, it’s also easier because you can work with virtually any size or shape cabochon and get good results.

I’ve begun work on a blog post providing more detail on how I make my pieces. The only thing I need to finish it are step-by-step photos. It won’t be enough to teach you how to do it, but at least you’ll see what I do. There are some good videos on YouTube to get you started if you want to try and I’ll link to the ones I think are best in that blog post.

The Metals

K2 Granite wrapped with Silver
This is K2 Granite — yes, from the mountain K2 — wrapped in sterling silver. The colored specs are natural. I’d score this a 5 out of 5; it’s currently my favorite piece.

Lately, I’ve been working almost exclusively with sterling silver, although I have worked with copper and silver plate in the past. (When getting started, it’s a good idea to work with cheaper metals.) My friend Dorothy sat down with me when we were both in Quartzsite in January and showed me how she makes her jewelry. That was the first time I worked with sterling silver. She stressed the importance of tight, even wraps and put me on the right track in a search for perfection. Every time I finish a piece, I give it an objective score of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. I’m always shooting for 5s but am happy with 4s. I learn a lot from 3s and usually disassemble anything that scores lower than that.

Dorothy also taught me to save every single bit of silver that gets cut away from the piece. When my little plastic container is full, I can send it back to the silver supplier for credit on the purchase of more silver. At $16.60 per ounce (today’s price), those trimmings can really add up.

My Progress

I’ve come a long way since I started creating wire-wrapped gemstone cabochon pendants back in January. In fact, I look at some of the pieces I created back then, remembering how proud I was of them, and cringe.

My First Pieces
My first pieces, prepped for sale. I’ll be selling these for just $10 each — a fraction of what I charge for my later pieces.

Why cringe? Well, most of them are terribly crude and generally immature. All those swirls — what was I thinking? This is the kind of jewelry a teenager would wear. That’s okay, but I’m not interested in making jewelry for teenagers.

Now compare those pieces to my most recent work here (and in closeups above):

Recent Wire-Wrapped Jewelry Pieces
Here are some of the pieces I created in the past week, all tagged and ready for packaging for sale. They range in price from about $40 to $50 each and are sold on a leather necklace with a hand-formed clasp.


If you like videos, try this one. It’s a show and tell for four recent pieces. (I really need to get a better setup for future videos.)

I think these designs are more finished looking and mature. (Maybe it’s just a matter of taste, though.) Not only am I using better cabochons, but I’m also wrapping them with sterling silver, although I haven’t completely given up on copper yet.

And yes, I am selling them. There’s a website where new pieces appear as they are finished: www.MLJewelryDesigns.com. There are links there to an online store. Selling them makes me happy and sad. Happy because other folks value what I do but sad because I hate to see them go.

I’ll also be at a kiosk/table at Pybus Public Market on three upcoming Saturdays, including this Saturday, March 31. I figure I’ll sit there for the day and make new pieces — maybe even some custom ones from unwrapped cabochons I’ll have on display and for sale. If you’re around, I hope you’ll stop by.

But if you’re not in the area, please do visit my online store and treat yourself or a loved one to a unique gift. I sure could use a cash inflow to feed my hobby with stones and silver wire!

A Marketing Moral Dilemma

Any advice?

K2 Wrapped in Sterling Silver
A K2 cabochon wrapped as a pendant in sterling silver.

Labradorite
A labradorite cabochon wrapped as a pendant in sterling silver.

Yellow Feather Jasper
A yellow feather jasper cabochon wrapped as a pendant in antiqued copper.

I’m in a bit of a moral dilemma.

To increase the marketability of the semiprecious gemstones I’ve been turning into jewelry, I need to include details about the stone in each piece.

I have no problem writing up the geophysical aspects of the stone, but I’ve been advised by other jewelry makers to include metaphysical aspects, too. And that’s the problem: I don’t believe in any of the purported metaphysical benefits of rocks.

The trouble is, although the stones I’ve been wrapping are attractive pieces of jewelry in their own right (if I do say so myself), many of the people who would consider wearing stones as jewelry do so because they believe in the metaphysical properties of the stones they wear.

Although true believers know what stones they want, borderline believers might not. If I include the “fact” that moss agate, for example, aids in childbirth, I could help convince a pregnant woman to buy a piece of jewelry that includes a piece of moss agate. It certainly wouldn’t hurt her in any way, but I don’t believe it would help her, either.

The moral dilemma is that I believe that including such information is misleading a potential buyer. But what if the buyer expects such information? And if the information is widely available and easily confirmed, why shouldn’t I include it if it could help sales?

Any advice?