How to Make Egyptian Wire Wrap Jewelry

Wire wrap jewelry was used by the ancient Egyptians to make necklaces, bracelets, rings, headdresses and many other decorative pieces, much like today. At the time, wire had to be made out of pieces of pure gold metal, which was hammered flat and rolled by hand. Unlike today, this type of jewelry was time-consuming and expensive, and so only the rich were able to afford it. One simple, attractive wire wrap project that evokes the style of ancient Egypt without the price tag is the heart-shaped pendant, decorated in classic Egyptian coils.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gemstone or bead
• Small mandrel
• 16-gauge wire
• Needle-nosed pliers
• Round-nosed pliers
• Wire clippers
• Jewelry files
• Sandpaper
• Polishing cloth

1. Place your gemstone on top of a sheet of paper. Draw a heart around the gemstone, as large as you would like your Egyptian pendant to be. Use this drawing as a guide for the size of your pendant while you work.

2. Wind the silver wire around the mandrel in tight coils until you have a length that is equal to the length of the heart outline you drew. Remove the coils from the mandrel and clip the remaining end of the wire.

3. File and sand the loose ends of the wire coil length, then bend the ends toward the inside of the coils using the needle-nosed pliers. Bend the coils into a heart shape using the round-nosed pliers and your guide. Place the loose ends of the coil at the bottom of the heart.

4. Link the loose ends of the heart together with another small piece of wire, wrapping the wire tightly around the ends using the needle-nosed pliers.

5. Create a loop for the Egyptian pendant. Twist three pieces of wire about 5 inches long together, using the needle-nosed pliers. Leave 1 inch free at each end. Bend the twisted wire into a loop, and wrap the free ends securely around the top of the heart piece.

6. Create a base design for the stone setting you will use on your gemstone. Take one long piece of wire and bend it in half twice so that you have four connected layers. Wrap the loose end of this piece around one side of the heart, hiding the end at the back of the jewelry piece.

7. Bend a 2-inch section of the wire piece so that it curves over the front of the heart, creating an attractive overlap. Fold the rest of the wire around the back of the piece and to the other side, creating a sturdy base for your gemstone. Wrap the wire around this side of the heart and curve the end into a curl.

8. Take another long piece of wire and wrap it around the corners of the gemstone as well as the central wire design so that the wire holds the gemstone to the pendant. Hide the loose ends at the back of the pendant.

9. Add Egyptian coils to the jewelry piece, particularly to the places where the joints and loose ends show. Push the end of a piece of wire into a tiny loop to start the flat coil, then grip the loop with a pair of pliers and slowly continue the coil.

Tips & Warnings

• Make Egyptian coils thicker by bending the wire piece over on itself before you start to coil.

References

• Ganoksin: Wire Rolling Guide
• Ganoksin: Wire Twisting Tutorial
• Ganoksin: Egyptian Coil Assembly

Resources

• Egyptian Coil Tutorial