ArtFire

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a decorative freeform squiggle frame around your cabochons to create very modern 'off-beat' pendants. You will learn how to create the hammered effect in your design without shattering
a single cabochon. :)

This design is perfect for showing off those eye catching dichroic cabochons, which are sure to be a big hit with your customers. It allows you the freedom to work with your cabochons and use the wire squiggles to enhance the unique features on them.

This design also works beautifully with freeform stone cabochons (Lapis Lazuli cabochon on page 32 of the tutorial).

I recommend using long-ish cabochons to give you more room to play with those squiggles. Now is the time to use up all of those enormous cabochons you have collected and not been able to use.

Another ideal use for this design is to use large rectangle pillow shaped beads (variation examples of these on pages 32 & 33 of the tutorial). Have you ever wondered what to do with a whole strand of these beads, which,.. to the untrained eye, look very much like cabochons? These beads while usually gorgeous to look at, are often difficult to use in projects because of their shape and size. Look for strands that contain the most beads with interesting characteristics and colours that are bold/attractive enough to be used individually. Divide the cost of the strand by the number of beads and you'll probably find it's a very cost effective way to make a dozen of these pendants.

This tutorial is 33 pages long, and contains 98 photographs.
* To view my tutorials, you will need Adobe Reader which you can download for free.

After purchasing a few gorgeous dichroic cabochons from Lyn Owen http://lowen56.blogspot.com/, I didn't want to cover the face of the cabochon with too much wirework because the cabs were so beautiful. I thought it would be such a shame to obscure any of it at all really,. so I designed a wrap setting that could easily be changed to say..follow a curve in the pattern on the glass and actually become part of the design I suppose. This setting is also good for hiding little ugly bits in stone cabs.

sterling silver wire