Almost featherweight

This shaggy bracelet is the lightest so far despite having the most glass beads. That's 'cos I've used aluminium rings this time. 5mm ID 18 gauge bright aluminium rings. I didn't count how many but they're certainly lighter than the rhodium ones. Sometimes value of jewelry is affected by the weight of it but this one bucks the trend by being chunky yet lightweight so continuous wear is not an issue. I like the sound this makes as well, with the soft clinks of the rings against the glass beads. Fun bracelet to wear :-)

Have a blessed day!

Wire, rings and other things

I don't always make my own rings. Yes, sometimes I buy spools of Artistic enameled copper wire, wrap them round a mandrel and cut with wire cutters but nowadays, I buy ready made rings. I think it's more cost effective this way 'cos I don't intend to invest in a jewelry saw to get rings with a tiny kerf.

So I buy readymade rings. This pic is just one box of rings that I have. These are mainly aluminium rings from 14g to 20g in various diameters. My most expensive rings, to date, are also here. The silver-plated saw-cut ones. Haven't yet decided what to make out of those as yet. Maybe delicate earrings 'cos the rings are so pretty even if there are only a few of them.

My material of choice at the moment is rhodium-plated machine-cut rings.

Rhodium-plated for the shine and machine-cut to lower the cost. Yup, saw-cut ones cost more. Also, these rings seem tougher and thus less likely to get nicks from the pliers when opening and closing them. Lastly, I've yet to snap a ring due to metal stress but I've snapped a few aluminium ones already. LOL!

Have a blessed day!

More aluminium

I bought a bracelet kit meant for making three Byzantine bracelets, in blue, pink and green. DD's making the green and I've completed the blue and the pink. With the 'leftover rings' I made matching earrings and another barrel weave bracelet, below.

I also made some coloured Mobius flowers and added a jump ring to attach as a charm later.

My fingers hurt 'cos with 14 gauge aluminium, I need more effort than the 20 gauge copper I've been using. It's much lighter, of course. And with the large OD, the rings are easier to handle and move into position during weaving. I'm just waiting for DD to finish her bracelet and earrings so I can get the balance from her and maybe make more Mobius flowers to make a charm bracelet?

Have a blessed day!

 I thought it might rain, what with the dark clouds but it's ok. Dark clouds don't always mean rain.

Light and airy

Silver and blue Byzantine bracelet with matching earrings. This time, I used aluminium. 14 gauge 10mm OD. They were a bit stiffer than I expected but still manageable. I wonder what stainless steel will be like.

The camera doesn't capture the brightness of the blue but I still like it. These are a bit chunkier than those I've made before but they're much lighter 'cos of the aluminium.

Have a blessed day!