Gold chain

A customer wants an handmade 18 inch gold chain, I thought 1mm would be strong enough as she wants to hang two 1cm pearls but how much wire would I need. Don't really feel like making jewellery just yet but her friend is a good customer who I meet at craft shows.

Hi Pat, It's an expensive sounding lark, and if you can possibly get loose chain from Cookson and simply make it up, you will be on safer ground.

If however you decide to make your own from say jump rings, then make 10 cm in copper wire first and keep a record of how much wire was used. Chains are often 41cm long including the fastener.

Soldered jump rings will be rather soft and distort in use, so once connected you can harden them by stretching the chain slightly, using binding wire at each end. You can even them out more if you need, by pulling through a slightly smaller hole in a piece of wood.

The result will be oval links which gives a longer chain, and will also test the solder joints.

Having made this test piece you can then work out how much more to make and how much wire you need for the real thing. Depending on size,1.0mm wire might be a bit thick looking, so experiment to decide. Below, a wire chain with variants. Dennis.

That's a lot of gold for two smallish pearls!

Yes it is, plus I don't really feel like making jewellery yet, it's too early for me having just lost my husband. Wondered about buying g chain instead.

Send her to the Gemporia website - they have lots of chains!