A Note About My Chainwork

Metal mesh fabric woven from rings of steel or some other hard metal has a long history dating back centuries.  Traditionally used for armor, most notably in ancient China and Japan and medieval Europe, due to its flexibility, strength, and ease of wear and fabrication, chainwork has more recently begun to be used for decorative applications.  In the Victorian era, handbags made in the European 4-in-1 weave became fashionable for upper class ladies.   Since then, artists and crafters have discovered the beauty and versatility of chainmaille techniques for jewelry purposes.  Many of you have encountered this type of jewelry and know it as chainmaille jewelry, but for my own work, I prefer the term chainwork simply because the word chainmaille is often associated with armor, and jewelry is certainly not armor, unless it is armor for the soul.

Unlike most commercially available chains, each ring in my chainwork is opened, woven into place, and then closed again by my hands.  It is an incredibly time intensive process that requires a great deal of patience and care.  I take great care to close each link as perfectly as possible, and, unless otherwise stated, each piece is tumbled after completion to harden the metal and smooth and polish the links to a high shine.

Please note, however, that the links are not soldered closed.  The amount of time that would be required to do that would make the jewelry excessively expensive, since most chainwork jewelry requires the use of hundreds of individual rings.  The nature of chainwork makes this possible.  In most weaves, pressure is distributed over several rings, greatly reducing the stress on a single ring.

Nevertheless, like any piece of jewelry, chainwork jewelry made from precious metals, which are much softer than steel, may require periodic maintenance, particularly if the wearer has a tendency to be rough with his or her jewelry.  Rings that come open a bit are easy to fix and require little to no time or effort.  If you live near me, I will be happy to make repairs and perform maintenance free of charge.  If not, any jeweler will be able to do it for you.  Or, if you are familiar with how to open and close a jump ring, you can make repairs yourself in a minute or two with two pairs of jewelry pliers, available for just a few dollars at any hobby shop that sells jewelry supplies.

I recommend that you periodically check over the piece to see if any rings have begun to open.  This will not happen often.  In fact, not one of the pieces I have made for myself has had any problems in two years of regular wear.  But it must be fixed if it does, as it weakens the overall structure of the weave.  With a bit of care and maintenance, your chainwork jewelry will last many lifetimes.

Crystal Ring Information

These rings, hand woven using Swarovski crystals and Japanese glass seed beads, are among my favorite things to make and wear.  They are impossibly sparkly and every time I wear one, I receive endless compliments.  They have become an integral part of my jewelry wardrobe, and I wear one every day.   They are relatively quick to make, and because Swarovski crystals come in such a mind boggling array of colors, they can be matched to just about any outfit or theme imaginable.  Need to match bridesmaids gowns?  Done.   Have a special outfit that needs just the right bit of sparkle?  Done.  Maybe you just want something fun and sparkly to keep your spirits up on a dreary day.  Done.  I have one to match just about every outfit I own.

-About the Fit-
My crystal rings are very comfortable to wear.  Because of the way the bands are made, they will fit a range of sizes.  For each currently available ring, I have listed an estimated comfortable range.  The ideal size is in the middle of the range, with slightly looser or tighter fits at the outside.  Also keep in mind when considering a ring, that wearing a ring that is a bit tight will stretch it a bit over time, resulting in a more ideal fit after a few wearings.  If you don't see a ring in your size, just let me know and I will create one just right for you.

-Colors-
I currently have over 160 colors of Swarovski crystals in stock in the shape necessary to create the square, diamond, round, rectangle, band, flower, and star rings.  The beads necessary for the dome and bubble rings can be special ordered very quickly.  You may use the color charts below to choose colors for a custom creation, or send me a swatch of the color you are are trying to match.  Because I am limited to the colors available, I may not be able to make an exact match, but I can usually get very close, particularly by combining colors.  Or you can just come up with a color theme, and I will put something wonderful together.  I love playing with color, so I will be more than happy to work with you to create just the right sparkle ring for you.

In addition to the standard colors, Swarovski crystals also come with outer coatings that can change their appearance.  Most people are familiar with the aurora borealis (AB) coating, which is a rainbow finish covering part of the bead.  Double AB, or AB2X, is the same coating over the entire bead.  I do not stock AB crystals as a rule, but they can quickly be ordered.  The other coating available, which I love and do stock in many colors, is the satin coating, which is a newer finish.  The satin coating is a warm silver finish, which darkens the crystal, reduces the color saturation, and produces a wonderful subtle flash of light.