There is so much elegant simplicity in Lan Anh Handmade's lovely wire wrapped pendant tutorial for small cabochons of about 1- 2 cm. This wonderful Vietnamese wire artist recommends any shape except round ones. This is because this style of wire work will not be able to hold round stones.

The wire wrapped back of the pendant provides the main support for the stone. The bending of the wires in the front is crucial to "lock" the gemstone within the wire work frame.

I was perplexed by this statement in her tutorial - "The length of the wire used can be calculated by multiplying the ratio of the stone".   Some wire wrappers like Dale Armstrong estimate with a general formula -  by measuring the distance from the bottom to the top of the stone and multiplying by 2. My preferred method is to get the length around the stone - using a piece of string should do the trick.

Either way, one has to add extra wire for the bail - anywhere from about 2.5 - 6 inches. How much you need for the bail will depend on the swirls and flourishes you use to finish the wire ends. Best to be generous rather than be short on wire.



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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
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