Today I want to share with you the experience of creation a pendant of copper wire in the technique of wire wrap.

You need:

- wire of several diameters (2mm, 1mm, 1.2 mm, 0.2-0.3 mm for wrapping)

- cabochon (I had a dichroic glass)

- copper beads

- diagonal cutting pliers

- round-nose pliers

- scissors

- anvil

- grinding machine / needle file / engraver with an abrasive nozzle — anything what is convenient to use

- sandpaper of fine grit and polishing paste

Step 1. Make the base

Take a piece of wire 2 mm, length of 6-8 cm (depending on the size of your cabochon), and bend it.

The ends are sharpened in any convenient way. I used a homemade grinding machine.

Hammer the top of the base on the anvil (I used an old iron).

Grind if necessary, sandpaper.

Step 2. Twine round the cabochon

Make three pieces of wire 1 mm diameter:

Apply the cabochon.

And twine around the middle detail.

Approximately 1/3 of the backside detail is twined to the middle one.

Move on and wind the last detail slightly below the middle.

Do it symmetrically up to the end.

The winding is finished! Now a little unbend the ends and insert the cabochon.

Apply the base.

Step 3. Add the base

Take two pieces of wire with a diameter of 1.2 mm (you can take 1 and 1.3 and 1.4, it is not essential).

Apply and wind them to each other.

Apply the cabochon, check if it is necessaary to push / pull anything.

Make a bend in the upper part and join the arcs with 3x3 winding, leaving a small gap on the top (for a holder of the pendant).

As you see, the ends have gone back, take the pliers and gently bring them to the righ side.

Step 4. Assembling all together

Take the winded cabochon and the base with the arcs and bend the ends from the back forward. Watch carefully so that the front arcs do not slide apart widely, as they hold the cabochon.

The pair on the front is cut off, the pair at the back is left long.

On the back side.

Those ends on the cabochon should be cut off along the length of the base and pressed.

The last two long arcs are cut off to one length, sharpen the tip and bend it around the right side of the cabochon.

Wind all the ends on the right side around each other.

Wind the copper beads, add findings and the pendant is ready!

Let's perfect the pendant. Grind and polish all you've missed or accidentally left traces of tools. Degrease, removing a possible thin coating (with a dish soap), dry and leave in a closed container with ammonia. Or make any other patina, I like this one.

Control the process of darkening. When it gets the color, take out the pendant and remove patina on exposed areas. I do this using polishing paste for chrome, and at the end work with the engraver with the brass nozzle.

Admire the final result: