[Jewelry making - Article 00886] - Re: [Orchid] Making handmade chains

[Spiderchain Jewelry]

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    Ah ha!  Finally a question in my field of expertise. 

>         My question is this...can high quality chains be made that are
>     not soldered? 

    Yes, but you need to use sufficiently hard wire and a tight pattern.
    Working in sterling silver, half hard is an absolute minimum, spring
    hard is preferred.  Bracelets need to be sturdier than necklaces,
    and necklaces need to be sturdier than earrings.  But choke points on
    any piece (where it drops to just one ring) are often candidates for
    solder. 

>         If so, at what point do you need to solder a chain? 

    If you're using thin wire and large rings (an open, lace-like
    pattern) you should definitely consider soldering.  It will depend on
    the piece you're making (high or low wear), the hardness of your
    wire, and the overall scale of the piece. 

    I hope that helped a little.  I'm happy to talk about wire and chain
    patterns all day long, so don't hesitate to peep if you're still
    puzzled. 

-Spider (delighted to have informed advice to offer)


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