Hello

[MuranoSilver]

Hello & to the forum =
Love the opals and your stones too!
Nic xx

[Di Sandland]

Graeme, just taken a look at your work and you have some beautiful stuff there. I am a tad biased as opals and peridots are my favourite stones. That first opal is a fiery thing ain't it!

Welcome to the forum, I'm sure you'll like it here.

[EmmaRose]

Hi Graeme and welcome
adore opals, one of my favs, especially boulder opals! far too few good cutters out there IMHO
Emma

[AlexandraBuckle]

Ooh didn't know I liked opals until now
Your work is lovely Graeme

[Solunar Silver Studio]

Hi Graeme, I've just had another drool over your photos....just as a matter of interest...what internal diameter do you use on your 2mm jumprings? And have you tried anything finer than 2mm in fine silver and have it strong enough? ....and....and......and.......how many rings in the byzantine with the 'holes' in????????



You horrible man....you're playing with my head!!!

[mizgeorge]

not Graeme (), but a byzantine weave needs an AR of around 3.5 (in spite of what David Scott Plumlee says about pi), so 2mm wire would need an id of 7mm - though at that scale you can get away with slightly smaller.

Barbara, I've worked with 1.25mm fine silver for several weaves (for a customer who can't wear sterling) and had no problems with anything with an AR of 3.5 or under. You just have to watch out for death grip as it marks so easily.

[Solunar Silver Studio]

not Graeme (), but a byzantine weave needs an AR of around 3.5 (in spite of what David Scott Plumlee says about pi), so 2mm wire would need an id of 7mm - though at that scale you can get away with slightly smaller.

Barbara, I've worked with 1.25mm fine silver for several weaves (for a customer who can't wear sterling) and had no problems with anything with an AR of 3.5 or under. You just have to watch out for death grip as it marks so easily.

Hi George, I've seen you mention AR before - but as I have never done any maille as such I have no idea what it means...I'm assuming the R bit is ratio?? But ratio of what? - can't guess what the A might be...

I've got a reel of 1.25mm fine silver that was sent to me in error and that I kept rather than mess about returning it and was going to draw it down to a thinner wire when I needed it...but if I could get a reasonable, securely closed jump ring from it then I woud give chain maille a go!

[mizgeorge]

Sorry Barbara, AR is Aspect Ratio, which is the inner diameter of the ring divided by the width of the wire. So, for example Byzantine chain, which uses an AR of 3.5 works with rings in:

0.8mm wire - 2.8mm mandrel
1mm wire - 3.5mm mandrel
1.25mm wire - 4.375mm mandrel
etc

I think byzantine should be OK in 1.25 fine (I'd tumble the cut rings for a good 24 hours to get a bit of hardness). Weaves with an AR of 3 or less (like JPL for example) would be even better.

[agent_44]

Hi Graeme, welcome!

I was of the understanding that opals were though to be unlucky because of them drying out too.

[Green Monster]

Sorry Barbara, AR is Aspect Ratio, which is the inner diameter of the ring divided by the width of the wire. So, for example Byzantine chain, which uses an AR of 3.5 works with rings in:

0.8mm wire - 2.8mm mandrel
1mm wire - 3.5mm mandrel
1.25mm wire - 4.375mm mandrel
etc

I think byzantine should be OK in 1.25 fine (I'd tumble the cut rings for a good 24 hours to get a bit of hardness). Weaves with an AR of 3 or less (like JPL for example) would be even better.

JPL ( Jends Pind Link) is really pleasing to look at, but unless I am doing something wrong I find it a right bugger to orientate foir the next link. I would not recomend it nas a first mail style to attempt, it is more critical on AR than most, you might find you have a lot of new jump rings to find a use for!..lol