Jewelry Lovers

Twisting silver wire provides a number of textures which can be used in many ways to make jewelry and ornaments. The bracelet and rings, shown here, were made from round silver wire, but you may wish to experiment with the many different shapes and sizes of wire available.

Twisting wire

This technique involves twisting two or more strands of silver wire to form a patterned length of silver. In order to get a consistent and tight twist, a hand drill is used. The wires to be twisted are fastened into the jaws of the drill. The other ends of the wires are then attached to a clamp and kept taut while the crank of the drill is turned, thus twisting the wire. Any wire can be twisted in this way though some of the stronger steel wire might prove more difficult.

Bracelet

The bracelet is very simple to make. It has no fastening clasp as it is made just big enough to slide over your hand. Twisted silver wire of the same texture can be used equally well in other jewelry designs.

Wind the length of silver wire around and around your hand to form a rough circle about 7.5cm (3in) in diameter and tuck in the ends so that the wire will not uncoil.

Place on the asbestos mat and anneal with the blowtorch.

To do this, heat the wire all over taking care to move the flame steadily around the circle of wire as too much heat in one place might melt or distort the metal. When the wire is a dull red colour, remove the flame and cool the wire in water.

When the wire is cool, unwind it and put one end in the vice or clamp. Holding the other end with the pliers, pull the wire as taut as possible and as straight as you can get it. The wire should be quite soft after annealing and should feel as though it is stretching slightly when you pull it straight.

Fold the wire carefully in half and place the folded end in the clamp or vice. The other ends are placed firmly in the drill jaws making sure that both ends are secure and the wires straight and even.

Hold the drill in your hand, keeping the wire between the drill and clamp taut. Then, slowly, begin to turn the crank handle of the drill, still keeping the wire taut. This serves to twist the two wires together—the more you turn the drill the tighter the twist. Rely on your judgement to decide how tight you want the twist, but for the best proportions with this thickness of wire, there should be at least three twists every 2.5cm (lin). In the bracelet illustrated here, there are three and a half twists to every 2.5cm (lin).

Remove the wire from the drill and clamp and cut off the folded end. The twisting process hardens the wire so it must be annealed again to soften it.

When the twisted wire has cooled, bend it gently in your fingers to form a circle just big enough to slide over your hand. This initial fitting is important because if it is too large it will slide off too easily when finished and if too small, you will not be able to get it on. Mark the size with a pencil and, using the jeweler’s piercing saw, cut off the piece for the bracelet. Keep the remaining twisted wire to make the ring.

File the ends of the bracelet flat to ensure a join good and butt them together as closely as possible.

The two ends will be joined together by soldering so try to arrange the wire so that the twist will look continuous. This might entail cutting or filing off a minute piece of the wire.

Place the bracelet on the asbestos mat and flux the join with borax. Flux is a chemical compound that prepares the metal surfaces for joining by helping the molten solder to flow smoothly and dissolves the oxides that form on the metal during heating. It should only be applied on the part of the metal where solder is required and the metal around the joint must be cleaned with a file or an abrasive paper.

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Twisted silver wire jewelry part 1