Jewelry Making techniques?


jewelry making
Lily V asked:


I am interested in making jewelry and especially in learning all about wire work. I saw a ‘wig jig’ apparatus online the other day, but I wasn’t sure what brand, type (metal or plastic) etc. I should buy. Can anyone suggest one that has worked good for them?

Also, do you know of any step by step books (with pictures) that will guide me through the basics? How about bead/jewelry magazine subscriptions…I want to subscribe to one that is intended for a beginner.
I am interested in making jewelry out of beads and “Wig Jig” design. I think…what does wig jig mean? I thought it was just a little peg board that you can use to wrap wire.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Hobbies & Crafts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Jewelry Making techniques?”

  1. iluvmysti Says:
    March 8th, 2010 at 1:27 am

    Hi Lily ~

    I think it is great that you would like to learn how to make jewelry. There are several questions that I would like to ask you before I can give you answer. Are you just interesting in “Wig Jig”? Are you interesting in making jewelry as a goldsmith? Are you interesting in making jewelry out of beads and “Wig Jig” design? Please let me know so I can answer your question. There are many type of Jewelry Making techniques.

    Answer to your additional question.

    I found some links while I was waiting for your answer. Thank you.

    Here are some links that you might want to check it out. These website will also tell you about what tools you will needs, what kind of wire you will need, how to do it, etc. These are very good websites with good information. I might want to learn how to use “Wig Jig” myself.

    As far as for Magazine -

    I have a lot of magazine that has to do with beading, wire and goldsmith. I would go to the bookstore and check those out before you order them. You can write down what you want to order.

    For beading and wire:

    Simply Beads
    Bead & Button
    Step by Step Beads
    Beadwork
    Bead Unique
    BeadStyle
    Step by Step Wire Jewelry
    Jewelry Crafts

    I hope you will find some enjoyment of making beads with Wig Jig wire. Good luck and let me know how you are doing. Thanks. iluvmysti

  2. Elaine G Says:
    March 9th, 2010 at 4:52 pm

    I have been making wire work jewelry for seven years now. I started out with a metal wig jig and a Coiling Gizmo which is a lot of fun. The ones I am familiar with are metal, I’ve never used the plastic ones and can’t say which is better. I learned wire working from an instructional video. I tried learning from a magazine but it was easier watching a video. Elaine G

  3. VQ Says:
    March 11th, 2010 at 8:27 am

    About.com has a lot of basic info about jewelry making–more than you might think. They also have a lot of links to instructional sites and suppliers. VQ

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