ArtFire

Fine silver bracelet with Sterling Silver end caps and clasp. 8 3/8" long, 4.5mm diameter. 15 grams.

This braclet is made using a weave that has been used for thousands of years by skilled metalworkers.

It's called "Three-way-single loop-in-loop". The links are all made from .999 Fine silver. There is no solder used in the links - they are fused closed (that means they are heated with a torch until the ends actually melt together - this can only be done with fine silver and high karat golds.)

Although the weave may appear similar to knit chains (spool knit, viking knit), it has nothing in common with them. The knit chains are hollow, and made from a single length, or several very long lengths of wire. The resulting chains are very light, and somewhat stiff.

Loop-in-loop chains, on the other hand, are made from hundreds, sometimes thousands, of individual, closed loops. The chains are dense and extremely flexible, slinky, sensuous.

Unlike the rings used for chain maille, links for loop-in-loop chain are not available as a standard commercial jewelry supply. Each link must be hand made.

The process starts by coiling wire around a dowell of the size appropriate for the chain being made. The the coil is removed and individual rings are cut, using a saw or shears. Then, each ring must be fused closed before it can be shaped.

The steps needed to shape each link vary with the design. The simplest design (called "single") calls for the links to be shaped into long ovals, by inserting pliers into the circles and then stretching into an oval, and then pinching the oval in it's center to form a "bow tie". The ends are then curled up around a dowel or scribe with the pinched center at the base.

The "three-way"' chain offered here is three single loop chains, interwoven at 60 degree angles to each other.

.999 Silver, Fine Silver, .925 Silver, Sterling Silver