Handmade & Handcrafted Jewelry Techniques

Jewelry Techniques for Making Handcrafted and Handmade Jewelry

History of Handcrafted and Handmade Jewelry:

The history of making handmade jewelry goes back 8,000 years. In about 6,000 BC, in the Babylonian city of UR, wire was made from metals including gold. In general, these metals were found in their elemental state and did not need to be refined from ore. Metals like gold were pounded in to flat sheets and then rolled to form wire. This wire was used to make a double spiral wire component that was strung on a leather cord and worn as a necklace. From that first example of wire jewelry, the techniques for making jewelry using wire and beads advanced in all succeeding civilizations. The Egyptians made many types of jewelry out of metals, including cast metals. The Romans developed many of the jewelry making techniques that we address here. Ultimately, the Romans developed solid wire, pulled from a lump of metal. The Romans also developed the techniques for combining wire components by wrapping wire around itself that we now call the hobby -- wire wrapping. Many of the techniques for making jewelry that we will address in this section of our web site were first employed by the Romans. Here we have tried to take the wisdom of these ancient civilizations and update it using modern jewelry tools, to bring the hobby of making handmade or handcrafted jewelry into the 21st century.

Jewelry Making Techniques That Are Covered in our Web Site:

To say that our web site has a plethora (an abundance) of articles on making handcrafted jewelry and handmade jewelry might be an understatement. We have articles in this section of our web site that describe the techniques for making jewelry using the following jewelry making approaches:

• Making handmade jewelry with beads and jewelry wire using techniques often called wire working or wire wrapping. In addition to general wire wrapping information, we have information on making loops, making links, making earrings components or ear wires, making clasps, making coils, and we have information on making a jewelry component called a bead dangle.
  
• Making handcrafted jewelry by stringing beads on thread or beadstringing wire.
  
• Making handmade jewelry components out of wire using the Twist 'n' Curl jewelry tool.
  
• Making handcrafted jewelry chain using the Spool Knitter Jewelry Tool.
  
• Making handmade jewelry by setting gemstones in jewelry findings.
  
• Making handcrafted jewelry using a WigJig jewelry making tool and accessories.
  
• Making handmade jewelry spiral components using the WigJig Spiral Maker jewelry tool.
  
• Finally, we have general information on jewelry tools, jewelry wire, jewelry findings, measurement, storing, polishing and displaying jewelry.
  
• We also have a lot of jewelry making techniques described in our jewelry making "For Beginners" here. This is a separate section of our web site and includes a web page with links to instructions on all the jewelry making skills and techniques here.

Jewelry Making Techniques for Making Handcrafted and Handmade Jewelry Not Covered in our Web Site:

In many ways, it is easier to describe what jewelry making techniques are not addressed in our web site. The following techniques for making handcrafted or handmade jewelry are not addressed in our web site.

• Soldering of metal jewelry
  
• Casting of metal jewelry components
  
• Use of a torch in any manner, including using the torch to make glass beads
  
• Making jewelry with sheet metal by cutting, shaping or bending the sheet metal
  
• Making jewelry wire
  
• In general, any technique that involves heating either glass, plastic or metal will not be covered in our web site. We believe that the potential element of danger associated with the heat involved, makes these techniques better taught face to face.

Summary:

Our hope is that some of the information that we provide in this section of our web site will help you, our reader, to improve their skills in making handmade jewelry. Our goal is to make the hobby of making handcrafted jewelry easy for everyone. One note of caution. For some people, one or more of these techniques may be difficult. If one approach is hard for you, don't assume that all techniques will be difficult for you. If working with wire doesn't turn out to be your "thing", try stringing beads on thread or beadstringing wire. There are many ways to make jewelry that we describe. Please find the one that works for you. When you are familiar with the jewelry making skills, please select here to view our jewelry making projects.