The use of bracelets as an accessory started way back in history.
Besides being used as an adornment, it’s a symbol for social status as well. People would put precious stones on their bracelets. Some of the most expensive bracelets required the skill of a great goldsmith.
With this, do you know how much hard work requires to make a bracelet? Bracelet making isn’t as easy as it seems. It involves detailed and complex procedures.
Want to start making your own bracelets? Continue reading this article to understand bracelet making.
1. Designing and Sketching
Creating a design for your bracelet is crucial to making a beautiful piece. Jewelry makers use the designs and sketches as a basis when they craft jewelry.
Designing and sketching aren’t easy. Designers need to make a detailed sketch of the jewelry. They include the correct sizes for the stones, gems, and other pieces they want in jewelry.
2. Preparation of Materials
There are several materials you’ll need in bracelet making. Prepare your stainless steel wire, cabochons, and wax for casting. The equipment you need is the piercing saw, a mandrel, and wire cutters.
Different types of pliers, crimping tools, and a ball-peen hammer are essential, too.
The stainless steel wire serves as the base of your bracelet. Stainless steel is the ideal material to use in making jewelry because of its components. It’s hypoallergenic, perfect for those who have sensitive skin.
Besides, stainless steel jewelry is more affordable and doesn’t tarnish right away.
Cabochons are gemstones used to make the jewelry more beautiful. Jewelry makers use wax to mold the design of certain pieces for the jewelry.
The piercing saw is an essential tool for jewelry makers. It allows them to cut intricate designs they need. The use of laser-cutting is an alternative for this tool.
In bracelet making, the mandrel bends and shapes the metals used. Wire cutters help the makers to cut the stainless steel wire.
3. Metal Forming
Metal forming is the process of transforming raw metal into various shapes. You twist, bend, and hammer your stainless steel.
Egyptians used gold and silver to create their bracelets. It requires a skilled goldsmith to form metals and make quality pieces of jewelry.
Sheet metal tool is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Thicknesses can vary significantly, although extremely thin thicknesses are considered foil or leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25 in) are considered plate. The thickness of the sheet metal is called its gauge. The gauge of sheet metal ranges from 30 gauge to about 8 gauge. The higher the gauge, the thinner the metal is.
There are several methods used in metal forming. Give your stainless steel wire a heat treatment to enhance the hardness of the metal. Its ductility increases, preventing it from cracking in the middle of metal forming.
There are three metal forming strategies: bending, hammering, and die-forming.
Bending is a technique where you use force to deform a metal sheet to your wanted shape. You use the hammering method in metal forming when you want to straighten or flatten the metal sheet. Besides, it’s a process that can strengthen the metal.
Die-forming is reshaping a material with the use of plastic deformation.
Another metal forming method is casting. You use this procedure when creating detailed shapes and designs for the bracelet. It’s the method used for the extra pieces you put in your bracelet.
4. Soldering Metal Parts
Soldering is the process of sticking metal parts together. You melt the solder and use it to connect the metals in the jewelry. It has a lower melting temperature compared to stainless steel.
You can use a soldering gun, soldering iron, or a butane torch for soldering. A soldering gun contains more power than a soldering iron. It heats up faster, but it’s also heavier, which can strain your muscles when using it.
You can opt for a butane torch, too. A butane torch can cover a broader range of heat than other electronic soldering tools. You can adjust the amount of heat it releases, resulting in less usage of energy.
5. Casting Your Design
You can start casting to create the designs for your jewelry. Some jewelry makers only use this method in bracelet making when you add patterns.
This method starts with a wax pattern. Carve and create a model of your design on a wax. Then, you enclose this pattern in plaster.
Heat the investment in an oven until it hardens. The wax material will melt, leaving your desired design.
With the wax gone, the jewelry makers will pour the molten metal into the hollow cavity created. You soak the mold in cold water to separate it from your pattern. You’ll get jewelry out of the mold with your desired design.
For inspiration, check out BadassJewelry.com. Their jewelry has amazing designs and patterns carved in them.
6. Stone-Setting
Stone-setting is an extra process like casting. You don’t need to follow this step if you don’t want gemstones on your bracelet.
Stone-setting is the process of fitting cabochons on finished jewelry pieces. For instance, you lost a gem in your bracelet. You go to a master setter to fill the space with a new stone.
The purpose of stone-setting is to add gemstones to the jewelry in a flattering way. It secures the stones in place without using many materials.
7. Polishing Your Jewelry
Polishing is the last step in bracelet making. It’s the process of removing excess metal on jewelry, leaving a shining and smooth surface. The tools to use are needle files, sandpaper, polishing paper, and a burnisher.
File the jewelry using the needle file. This allows you to remove excess metal on smaller and narrower parts of the jewelry.
Sanding is the process of eliminating scratches, residues, and stains. It gives you a shining piece of jewelry.
You can use polishing paper to sand the bracelet as well. Burnishing is a polishing method used since olden times. It’s the rubbing of hard metals with soft metals to smoothen the surface.
The Bracelet Making Process
Here’s a quick breakdown of the bracelet making process. If you’re looking to start making bracelets, use this guide and take note of each procedure. Use the right tools and follow useful techniques to make a beautiful jewelry piece.
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