Introduction to Chain

Chain, by definition, is a series of usually metal links or rings, connected to or fitted into one another, and used for various purposes (Merriam-Webster). That about sums it up: on a large scale, chain has been used to sink ships (in the Revolutionary War, gigantic, hundred-pound chain links were sunk in rivers to "fence" out British ships), and on a fine scale, chain has adorned our ears, necks, and wrists for over 6,000 years. Keep reading to find where chain started, ideas how to use it, and see chain being made!

Chains date at least back to 2500 BC, and we can give credit to the Ancient Egyptians for threading links of gold and silver together - much like we thank them for hammering out sheets of gold and rolling it into early wire. Gold was plentiful in Classical Greece, and the Greeks created 3-dimensional pendants to wear on the chains. Around the 8th century BC, "strap chain" was developed, which is strands of chain that are connected to lie side-by-side, creating a fabric-like flexible band.

By 300 BC, the elite upper-class was wearing chains that contained gemstones in the links. Leonardo da Vinci improved on chain design during the Renaissance, a period when personal ornamentation was starting to become a must. In medieval times, the brooch was the most common piece of jewelry; in the Renaissance, this shifted to a pendant worn on a long gold chain.

For the upper classes, these lavish pendants often illustrated Biblical scenes, or emblems representing the names of saints or loved ones. More functional pendants have been found, as well, such as pendants containing toothpicks!

Fast-forward to the 18th century, and chain's use has remained much the same, with an added task: the muff, a lady's roll of fur to place her hands in to keep them toasty, often had a chain that went around the lady's neck. Called a muff chain, this is also seen in children's mittens!

As time passed, technology progressed to automate and standardize the making of chain, making steps like soldering the links (which often caused the entire link to become fused and unmovable) predictable and quick. There's a video at the bottom of this post showing just that!

There are countless styles of jewelry chain, but we will be exploring some of the most famous and well-known types in the coming weeks, such as rolo, omega, snake, curb, ladder, and more. (Yes - if you have a good, close-up picture of a chain you love, send it to tips@wire-sculpture.com and you could be featured!)

When buying bulk chain, a typical label is either "soldered" or "unsoldered" chain. This means that the individual links that make up the chain are either soldered together, or have simply been pressed back together. Most base metal chain for jewelry-making is unsoldered, because it is a higher time and labor cost, but the chain still stays together well. Soldered chain can still be found, especially in the precious metals and larger-link chain.

If you see chain that says "finished" or "unfinished," that typically means that the chain has a clasp attached (finished) or not (unfinished).

Chain has been used to make sleek necklaces, anklets, and bracelets, which may have pendants or beads on them. Large-link chain has been used to make charm bracelets, and is currently becoming popular to use extremely large links of chain (1″ and larger) to make statement necklaces.

As a wire artist, because of your skills making simple loops and wrapped loops, you can do nearly anything you like with a piece of chain! Here are some ideas to get you started: