By Ellen Glynn
History of Wire Crafted Jewelry
Wire sculpted jewelry is an ancient craft that Biblical Scholars have dated back as far as1446 BC. It is know that Egyptian and Phoenician artists practiced that art over 5,000 years ago and pieces of jewelry have been found in the pyramids as well as ancient Pharaoh's tombs.
It is the only known metal jewelry craft that is created completely without soldering or casting. Soldering or casting is a tecnique that uses heat by flame or torch to melt the metal together. Creating Wire Jewelry is more of a challenge, as it is held together only by the wires. The wires are twisted, bent and cut, using only the skill of your hands and basic tools of pliers, wire cutters and ruler.
The wire used in designing jewelry may be from many different alloys such as gold, sterling silver, brass, and copper. Its strength can be soft, medium, or hard. Hard wire is used mostly in making bracelets, while soft wire is used in sculpting designs and allows the wire to be twisted more easily.
Hard Wire Bracelet Soft Wire Bracelet