Wire Wrapped Rings

So I bought a book on wire wrapping, and it taught me how to make a ring.  The first ring I ever made was a very simple, very basic single wire wrapped on both ends and hammered to harden it.  Then you just wire the bead or pearl or whatever onto the middle with a bit of a loop.

My First Ring

I bought a ring mandrel with the intention of making more rings, and it has come in very handy, especially today.  My sister was recently vacationing in Hawaii and her friends bought some rings there.  Someone brought a wire wrapped ring back and she wanted me to make one like it for a friend.  I really only knew how to make the one ring, but I tried to make a couple so that she could pick one she liked.

My Wire Wrapped Design Attempt

Turns out that the rings I made weren't quite what she had in mind.  There was a very specific design (i.e. the one they bought in Hawaii) that she wanted me to make.  So today I made and destroyed several rings before I managed the glorious Hawaiian style ring.  I practiced with 26 gauge nickel wire (REALLY skinny) to try to figure out how they made the ring in the first place.  Then I tried it with 20 gauge nickel wire, but it was too thick.  I didn't have anything in between, so I tried again with the skinny wire, but doubled it up.  Behold, the Hawaiian Ring.

My version of the Hawaiian style ring.

So, when I learn new things, I try to do a lot of repetition so I'll remember it.  Because what good is a skill if you forget it.  Behold, the many Hawaiian style rings.

The extra good news is that the silver side beads are lure beads, which means that these rings include a fishing lure component, which makes them fishing lure jewelry and thus means they count as A Lure Jewelry...  My jewelry line now includes rings.  :)