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Judy Larson's Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant, Classic Wire Jewelry. Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire. Wire wrapping cabochons can be intimidating.

Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant

by Judy Larson
  • Category: Classic
  • Technique(s): Wrapping, Weaving
  • Skill Level: Beginner
Wire wrapping cabochons can be intimidating. Try using this method to capture a stone. A perfectly fitting bezel is not necessary because the bead cannot fall out of this "bezel". Get the look of a wire wrapped bezel without it really being a bezel by using a bead and a headpin. This design can be easily modified to use with any size or shape flat or puffed bead if the length of the headpin above the bead is as long as the wires used to make the bail.

Materials

40X30mm Oval Gemstone Cabochon Mix - Pack of 10
E1-900
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $25.97
  • Gold Club Price: $19.48
Out of Stock
21 Gauge Square Half Hard Argentium .940 Silver Wire
H19-21SQH
  • Lesson Quantity: 2.00 feet
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
  • Price: $19.10
  • Gold Club Price: $14.32
Add to Bag
21 Gauge Half Round Half Hard Argentium .940 Silver Wire
H19-21HRH
  • Lesson Quantity: 30.00 inches
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
  • Price: $6.93
  • Gold Club Price: $5.20
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28 Gauge Round Half Hard Argentium .940 Silver Wire
H19-28H
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 feet
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
  • Price: $0.54
  • Gold Club Price: $0.40
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Sterling Silver Head Pin (.027) 22GA 3 inch - Pack of 10
K8-22
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $7.10
  • Gold Club Price: $5.33
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Add All Items to Cart

Tools

WireJewelry - Ultimate Wire-Pliers Jewelry Pliers with Case, Set of 5
G15-20
  • G15-20
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $170.72
  • Gold Club Price: $128.04
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Add All Items to Cart
Instructions
Step 1
Read through the tutorial before starting the project. Follow all safety precautions pertaining to the tools and supplies being used and the space you are working in.

Measure the circumference of the bead: Starting at the top of the bead, wrap the outer edge of the bead with a narrow strip of painter's tape. Cut the tape where it meets at the top of the bead. Use a pencil to mark the tape where the spirals will be placed. Where the spirals will be placed is personal preference. As well as being a design element, the spirals keep the bead from spinning in the bezel framework.
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Step 2
Remove the tape and secure it to a piece of paper. Measure and mark the center of the tape. In this case, the pencil marks for the spiral placement were about 1" from the center line, so were marked accurately on the tape in pen.
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Step 3
Straighten and cut two 7" and two 5" pieces of 21 gauge square wire. Mark the center of each. Note: If using a bead of a different size and shape than the one here or putting the spirals towards the top of the pendant, cut all the wires the same longer length.
Step 4
Bundle the wires together with the long ones between the short ones and the center lines matching. Tape the ends together.
Step 5
Match the center line of the wire bundle with the center line of the tape. Use an ultra fine point retractable Sharpie to mark the wire bundle where the spiral placement was marked on the painter's tape in Step 2.
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Step 6
Use a 24" length of 21 gauge half round wire to wrap the four wires together between the two outer Sharpie marks. This is a long wrap, so every few wraps, use flat nose pliers to tap down the wraps securely to the square wire bundle. When finished, make sure the wire tails are on what will be the inside of the "bezel". Trim the half round wrap wire ends to cover at least two of the square wires. Squeeze them into place on the square wire.
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Step 7
Cut the outer wires on each end to a length of ¾" beyond the last wrap for the small scroll shown on the pendant. If a larger scroll is desired, cut the wires to a length of 1".
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Step 8
Place the wire wrapped unit back on the tape, centering the wrapped sections between the lines marked 1" either side of center. Since the tape is the length of the circumference of the bead, it is easy to determine where to bend the wires to make the bail. Use an ultra fine point retractable Sharpie to mark the two center long wires on either end of the bundle to the length of the tape. This will be where the wires will be bent for the bail.
Step 9
Shape the wire around the bead: Hold the mark at one end of the wrapped wire section at the tip of the bead. Gently shape it around the bead. Check where the wires cross. The marks where the wires will be bent up for the bail may not match up. A minor adjustment of the marks should be all that is needed.
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Step 10
Bend the bail wires up on the marked lines. Recheck the bead fit and make adjustments as needed.
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Judy Larson's Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant
Step 11
Scroll the front short wires in toward the center of the bezel. Scroll the back short wires in toward the center of the bezel. Try to make each scroll as similar as possible.
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Judy Larson's Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant
Step 12
Place the bead on a 3" headpin. Slide the bead into the bezel between the scrolls.
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Step 13
Cut a 6" piece of 21 gauge half round wire. Leaving a ½" tail toward the back of the pendant, wrap from the base of the bail upwards 4 times. Do not trim off any wires.
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Step 14
Push the ½" wrap tail from the back of the pendant to the front at the base of the bail wrap. Pull the wrap tail tightly to the front. Trim the tail off as deeply into the bezel as you can get. Do not cut the long wire tail.
Pro Tip: Even if it is half-hard (recommended), half round wire ends can easily be pulled away from the pendant if not tucked away. This is my way to take care of that problem but there are many ways to secure the wire ends so use what works best for you.
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Judy Larson's Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant
Step 15
Trim the two front bail wires to ¾" in length above the last wrap. Pull the two wires slightly forward and apart. Make partial spirals in order to move the wires out of the way to make it easier to weave the bail and make the final bail wrap.
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Judy Larson's Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant
Step 16
Slightly spread the two outer square wires apart. Straighten and cut a 12" piece of 28 gauge round wire. Holding a 1" wire tail on the back of the pendant and working on the front, wrap the wire around the two square and one headpin bail wires twice. Push the wrap wires down tightly toward the upper bail shank wrap.
Pro Tip: At this point, you may want to use flat nose pliers to flatten the two outer wires and the headpin so they are at the same level.
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Step 17
Weaving, first step: Pull the weaving wire up over the lower square wire, under the center headpin wire, and over the upper square wire. Push the wrap wires tightly toward the pendant.
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Step 18
Weaving second step: Pull the weaving wire down behind the upper square wire, up and over the center headpin wire, and down below the lower square wire. Push the wrap wires tightly toward the pendant.
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Step 19
Continue weaving outward until the weaving is ½" long. The bail should be approximately ¼" wide at this point. Bend the wires in so they are parallel to each other. Make three more weaves.
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Judy Larson's Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant
Step 20
Measure out 1" from the start of the bail weaving. Bend the wires in toward each other, and then parallel to each other at the 1" mark. Continue to weave, pushing the weaves toward the pendant, until the outer parallel bend at the 1" mark is reached.
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Step 21
Form the bail over a 3/16" mandrel. Bend the unwrapped bail wires out away from the pendant using a flat nose pliers. The bend point should be even with the top wrap on the shank of the bail.
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Step 22
Pushing the bent wires tightly against the back of the pendant and using the half round wrap wire, make 4 wraps down toward the pendant. Do not trim the wrap wire off at this point. Trim off the 28 gauge round wire tails. Tuck the ends in with the tips of chain nose pliers. Continue to wrap down the bail shank toward the pendant until to top of the bead is reached, about 4 or 5 wraps. Do not cut the half round wrap wire off.
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Step 23
Trim the two square wire tails to ¼" below the last bail wrap. Using the tips of round nose pliers, tightly curl the wire tails up over the bail shank wrap wires. Trim the tail of the headpin off even with the last bail shank wrap.

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Judy Larson's Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, Classic Wire Wrap Bezelled Pendant
Step 24
Pull the bail shank wrap wire around to the back. Thread the wrap tail from the back to the front at the base of the bail wrap as in Step 14. Pull the wrap tail tightly to the front. Trim the tail off as deeply into the bezel as you can get.
Step 25
Finish making the spirals at the top of the bead to cover the bottom front of the bail shank.
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