Every year when I go to the Ren Faires, I check out the chainmail vendors, and while I love the product, I could never afford to buy any (well, I could've bought earrings or something, but I wouldnt get any lunch!). So this year, I was walking through Joanne Fabrics, and wondering down the jewelry aisle, and lo! I see packages of chainmail rings! :O So I bought some and looked online for an item I could make. The earrings on the right were the first pair I made. My mom liked them so much I made her a pair too The pair on the left (which still need hooks) were done a few days ago. ( photo / image / picture from TheBip's Garden ) I liked how the earrings turned out, so I went online and bought a larger bag. Joanne's only carried small bags of 150 rings for $3, which I felt was too much $$. I found a few suppliers online that I felt were much more reasonable...I got a 1,800 ring bag for $10! They were a bit larger than the first rings I bought, so were a little harder to bend, but the chunkier jewelry looks great Spiral necklace and matching bracelets ( photo / image / picture from TheBip's Garden ) Bracelet (will make matching necklace soon) ( photo / image / picture from TheBip's Garden ) The matching earrings for the previous bracelet ( photo / image / picture from TheBip's Garden ) I am in the process of making a matching choker for this. I will also make matching earrings and a longer necklace. ( photo / image / picture from TheBip's Garden ) I will be making more pieces, and multiples of each piece, then I will start selling them on etsy.com
Clever, resourceful and creative. You have demonstrated all these qualities in making some masterful jewelry Jen. Congratulations. I am always impressed when someone overcomes a problem with a creative solution. Jerry
Jen those are just lovely. I love the spiral necklace and bracelets best of all. You have a real flair for jewellery making and I wish you every success in selling them. I have a feeling they will be snapped up quickly once you put them online.
Looks beautiful. I do have one health recommendations though. :-? Try to find out if there is any cadmium or lead in the metal. I did not see any easy way to do this when looked on line. I would ask Joann's Fabrics to find out where they are made and if they are tested.
Once I have my shop set up, Ill post a link to it so ya'll can have a look-see And the rings I use are regular aluminum. I like it cause its lightweight and (fairly) easy to work...although the chunkier rings are a little tough... the first day I worked with em, my hands were killing me!
You said that the links were alu, but the part that goes in your earlobe--is that silver, or silver-coated?
The package says silver, but I dont know if that refers to the color or the metal. May be the metal. It is nickle-free though.
