Wire wrap instructor, Judy Moskal, displays pieces created using various wire wrap techniques.
Karen Wollscheid
Not all craft projects require hours of classes, a cabinet full of tools, or even lots of time to complete a project you can enjoy. Wire wrapping offered by Sun Lakes Rock Gem and Silver (SLRGS) Club is a short six hour class taken over two days in which time you’ll complete two to three pieces and walk away with the knowledge and confidence to build on the skill.
Wire-wrapped jewelry is one of the oldest jewelry-making techniques, dating back over 4,000 years to ancient Sumerian (c. 2000 BC) and Egyptian civilizations. It involves manipulating wire—bending, twisting, and coiling—often to make intricate filigree work and secure stones, beads, or other components without soldering, casting, or using heat.
The Earliest evidence comes from the Cemetery of UR and Egyptian tombs dating c2000 to 2600 BCE, where gold and silver wire was used to create jewelry, often by hammering metal into thin strips and twisting and continuing right up to the Victorian Era (19th Century). During this period pieces became more sentimental with such things as lockets or hair jewelry.
In the 1960s to 70s, a revival of this craft reappeared as a way of self expression during the hippie and bohemian movements focusing on incorporating natural stones with special meanings—often healing crystals.
In today’s classes, wire wrapping consists of manipulating and forming 21 gauge wire to encase a stone or glass cabochon, crystal, small wood piece—almost anything you want to incorporate. During the class you are taught using copper wire, but as you work on your own, wire is available in silver, gold and many fun colors as well.
To learn more about classes and open shop schedules check out our website at SLRGS.com. Remember, during the hot summer months, various shops will be opened for you to enjoy crafting in air-conditioned comfort.