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Byzantine Earrings

by Olena Bugrimenko

Category: Contemporary
Technique(s): Chain Making
Skill Level: Beginner

This cluster of Byzantine chain maille weave creates a beautiful earring focal from which you can dangle almost any bead. I used small stone donuts.

Materials

Jump ring Gold Plated fancy 6mm 16Ga

Lesson Quantity: 4.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

Gold Filled Jump Rings Open (.040) 18ga (OD) 5mm Heavy (ID) 3.2mm - Pack of 10

J11-194

Lesson Quantity: 60.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 6.00 pieces
Price: $9.94
Gold Club Price: $7.46

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Jump ring Gold Plated fancy 10mm 16Ga

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

Donut 15mm

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

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Tools

Flat Nose Wire Pliers

G2-506

G2-506
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.95
Gold Club Price: $24.71

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Chain Nose Wire Pliers

G2-508

G2-508
Lesson Quantity: 2.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 2.00 each
Price: $32.95
Gold Club Price: $24.71

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Round Nose Wire Pliers

G2-507

G2-507
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.95
Gold Club Price: $24.71

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C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches

PLR-487.00

PLR-487.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $16.97
Gold Club Price: $12.73

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Premium 4 1/2 inch Jump Ring Pliers Bent Nose - Pack of 1

G2-108

G2-108
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.97
Gold Club Price: $9.73

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Instructions

Step 1

Start by closing 4 rings and opening 2 others.

Olena Bugrimenko's Byzantine Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Setting up jump rings.

Step 2

Pick up an open ring and slip 4 of the closed rings onto it. Close the open ring.

Olena Bugrimenko's Byzantine Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Slip all closed rings onto the open one.

Step 3

Pick up the second open ring. Pass it through the 4 closed rings (from step 2). Close the open ring. Lay out the rings as pictured. Now you have a 2-2-2 chain. Open 4 more rings.

Olena Bugrimenko's Byzantine Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Add second open ring and close it after.

Step 4

Hold the 2 closed rings that are on the left side. Let the 2 rings on the right side fall on your fingers and let them face opposite directions from the middle rings. Push the 2 standing middle rings away from each other and push the rings on your fingers up.

Olena Bugrimenko's Byzantine Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Working the rings.

Step 5

Insert two of the four open rings by passing them through the two rings pushed up from the middle.

Olena Bugrimenko's Byzantine Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Push jump rings through the middle.

Step 6

Add another two rings to the two you just added.

Olena Bugrimenko's Byzantine Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Add another two rings.

Step 7

Add two more rings to the ones you just added.

Olena Bugrimenko's Byzantine Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Adding more rings.

Step 8

Repeat step 4. Add two rings to the middle pushed up rings. You have now finished your first fragment. To make earrings, you need two of these for just one earring. Repeat steps 1-8.

Olena Bugrimenko's Byzantine Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Repeat previous steps.

Step 9

Attach the two fragments together as shown in the picture.

Olena Bugrimenko's Byzantine Earrings - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, Making Chain, Chain Making , Add the two together.

Step 10

Attach an earwire and a donut stone. Repeat steps 1-9, so you can make your second earring.

Reviews

Olena Bugrimenko

If you love chain maille then you'll enjoy patterns and classes with Wire-Sculpture Faculty, chain maille artist Lena Bugrimenko!

I was born in the wonderful city of Kharkov, Ukraine. Like any girl, I loved jewelry- not only wearing it but even holding jewelry made me happy. (Back then, I had no idea that one day I would make jewelry myself!) I graduated from the Polytechnic University, majoring in chemical engineering, and began working in my field.

In 1999, my life changed a lot! My husband, daughter and I moved to the USA. It was a new start and a new life, so I decided to do something new too. I began making my own jewelry!

In the beginning, I made jewelry using seed beads; beautiful, yes, but it wasn't enough. Then I discovered the art of making Chain Maille, and now it is one of my favorite techniques. I love combining this technique with beads, gems, and wire. Sometimes the result is unexpected and very beautiful, and a unique, new design is created!

In 2009 I won the 1st Place Gold Medal award with my piece titled "Glorious Summer Necklace" in FMG's Swarovski category. In 2010 I took the Bronze Medal award with my piece titled "Wedding Necklace" in FMG's wirework and chain category. My designs have been used by Fire Mountain Gems both as a back cover advertisement and in their catalogs.

I have been published in a book, Mixed Media Jewelry Techniques, a collaboration with Lana May, Dale "Cougar" Armstrong, and eight other talented jewelry artists.

Lena and her family enjoy living in southern New Hampshire. She can often be found teaching.