Handcrafting Chain and Bead Jewelry: Techniques for Creating Dimensional Necklaces and Bracelets

by Scott David Plumlee

Handcrafting Chain and Bead Jewelry shows how to create beautiful, dimensional silver, copper, and brass chains using simple tools. The main style is based on the elegant, classical Byzantine pattern, and uses the Golden Ratio to determine the circumference of a chain’s interlocking rings based on the thickness of the wire. Illustrated step-by-step directions show how to calculate the circumference of the rings, how to wrap wire into coils, how to cut, and finally, how to assemble the chain. Starting from the basic Byzantine, new chain makers can then progress to increasingly Byzantine variations, including linear, knot, crown, and combination chains. Incorporating beads and charms offers endless possibilities for crafters who will soon, surely, be locked up in chains!

Genres: Crafts, Jewellery, Beading

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2006

About the author

To know thyself is the greatest journey, and I’m the type of guy that climbs a volcano in the dark to watch the sunrise. I have traveled to more than 50 countries, taken millions of photos, and now combining my stories and images into a series of digital eBooks to inspire others to discover their inner wanderlust. I am currently loving life in beautiful Thailand, working as an English teacher and fulfilling my novelist dreams. You can review the full list of travel book titles about my adventures in New Zealand and Vietnam at my website .

Reviews

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is a bit misleading as all the chains in the book are based on the Byzantine chain. I knew nothing about Byzantine chains but learned plenty from this book. The introduction to materials and basic techniques were brief. Some things were quirky, like including frisbees and water bottles as tools. Actually, you don't really need a lot of tools and that wasn't made obvious. Diagrams and photos are very clear, as are the step-by-step directions. I found the Crown Design particularly attractive and hope to give it a try soon.

[Hong Xiao-Lu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought two books from this author. Overall, they were a disappointment. The patterns are not original and lack variety. Also, the instructions are somewhat disjointed which may not be a problem if you are already an expert, in which case you don't need these books. The illustrations are ok though. There are better jewellery-making books out there.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for jump ring chains.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The patterns in this book are just beautiful, and fairly simple if you're familiar with constructing byzantine chains.

He also offers some great tips on crating a good byzantine chain. As I like to create open, airy byzantine chains, it was really just an interesting study on why the byzantine works.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning-it's all Byzantine based weaves, but that is one of the most versatile (and easy to pick up/put down) patterns. Excellent for the beginner, great reminder for the rest. Every step is well explained and illustrated.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

745.5942 PLU

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this book because it's great for learning, but my biggest complaint is that every single pattern is based on the Byzantine weave.