Necklet making

[LydiaNiz]

I'm making some pendants that I think would be better suited to necklets rather than chains. Before I make some basic glaring errors, can I pick your brains please?
Cable necklets? Will anything disastrous come up if I solder end caps on myself? I'm fairly handy with a torch, but still can't solder ends onto snake chain without it becoming rigid, and want to avoid the same thing.
I personally like the rubber/leather/cord options, but it appears the people who buy from me do not!

[Wallace]

Cable necklets are very fine strands of silver - they bend, kink and misshape very, very quickly the thinner they are. Solder will run down the length of the cables, so make sure you add some stop out. This could be yellow ochre, tippex, red rouge etc.

The ends can become rigid. You could make something yourself that is more rigid from 1.8mm - 2mm and it would be just as good, if not cheaper.

[LydiaNiz]

Thanks Wallace - I've made 2mm neck wires before and found they sat nicely while you were facing forwards, but sideways movement caused them to lift upwards. I think it's going to be a case of trial and error...

[Dennis]

Hi Lydia, I have used the Crimp n' Go Cables from Beadservice. They are plastic covered steel cable and come with fasteners, in various colours including grey. They are modestly priced and will not kink in normal use.

http://www.beadservice.net/shop/cate...aram=cid%3D%26

[CJ57]

I prefer these to the necklets, they are a bit more fluid but still rigid enough to have form http://www.cooksongold.com/Finished-...rcode-VVI-MFR# I needed a 2mm recently which you can get from Curteis and I find they need larger clasps or at least a bolt ring added or they are too fiddly to fasten. I know they are more expensive than making your own but you just factor the cost into the price

[Dennis]

Silver cable, whether single or multistranded looks gorgeous when new, but as already mentioned by Wallace and discussed in the past, has two associated problems:

The problem of soldering I have avoided by gluing it into end tubes with epoxi, as with snake chain.

An even more serious problem is that unless treated with utmost care it can quickly be come kinked at the ends once softened during soldering and around the bail if kept in a narrow box or jewellery roll, or folded after use.

If the bail can move this sometimes leads to several kinks where the bail has been, quickly rendering the piece unsightly.

This is partly avoided by crimping the bail in place and sending the necklet out in a neck sized box with a warning, but can lead to free remakes and replacements. Dennis

[LydiaNiz]

Thanks, Dennis those look great, and I'll certainly try some for lighter pendants. Caroline, I'd had a look at these and thought they looked good - but hearing from someoen who's used them is fab, so will probably go for them. Thanks!

[MeadMoon]

This is very timely since I've just made a pendant which would be much better suited to a necklet than a chain and was about to ask the same question myself. Thank you for all the info.

[CJ57]

Thanks, Dennis those look great, and I'll certainly try some for lighter pendants. Caroline, I'd had a look at these and thought they looked good - but hearing from someoen who's used them is fab, so will probably go for them. Thanks!

I think they look nicer than the normal neck lets and all the time I've used them I've never had any complaints or returns I don't use the very fine ones though as all my work is quite robust. I do as Dennis says have to provide them in a square box so they don't get misshapen but that always looks better anyway, I tend not to squash pieces in to small boxes, I have to hope that a customer keeps it in the box provided but if they don't then really that's their problem.
The only return I had was because cookies used to sell them with a very flimsy twist clasp which opened up on use and I had to solder on tubing and a proper clasp, I think they all have lobster clasps now but check because the twist clasp is rubbish. There is quite a difference in cost between their ordinary neck lets and the omega but I found it to be worth it.

[trialuser]

Forgive me for being thick, it's probably just blokieness, but what's the difference between a necklet and a chain.
I assumed it was just size, the '..let' bit implying small or baby, but the one in the link is 16 inches, as are many chains.
My wife tells me there is a difference between dresses and skirts but it doesn't seem that important to me, is it a bit like that.
Also, is a choker a solid rigid wire thing? I'd love to know how to make one of those that has a pleasing and lasting curve.