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Chain Maille Earrings for Beginners 5

This Chain maille is a two thousand-year-old art form originally used to create garments worn for protection by warriors from Europe, the Middle East and the Orient. Modern approaches use these classical patterns of cold-connected jump rings for sculpture and jewelry. For these non-traditional applications, hundreds of new patterns have been invented.

Our chain maille classes and workshops teach students how to transform some of these classic patterns of connected rings into striking pieces of jewelry. This workshop provides a brief introduction to chain maille through the creation of the three pairs of sterling silver chain maille earrings, shown above, Barrel Weave Earrings, Back-To-Work/Mobius Earrings, and Beaded Double Spiral Earrings.

The class will also include a lecture covering some basic chain maille concepts (working with jump rings – opening, closing, trouble-shooting) and tool tips.  Students will receive a color handout documenting each step of the process so that they can recreate these designs at home.

This class is intended for beginning chain maille students with no prior chain maille experience, but more advanced students may also enjoy this course.

Meet the instructor

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Jewelry designer and author, Karen Karon, has been weaving maille for well over a decade. She teaches chain maille and scale maille classes and workshops at Metalwerx School for Jewelry and Metal Arts, at local venues, and also provides private chain maille/scale maille instruction. In addition, Karen is a certified PMC (Precious Metal Clay) artisan. Karen has written articles for Art Jewelry, Bead Style, Bead&Button and Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazines and is the author of Chain Maille Jewelry Workshop and Advanced Chain Maille Jewelry Workshop, both published by Interweave.  Her jewelry can be purchased at Loveday in West Concord, MA. 

See Karen’s work on her website (karenkaron.com) or visit her on Facebook and Instagram.

Materials & Tools

There is a $70 materials fee for this workshop that is payable upon registration. The materials kit for this class includes several gauges and sizes of sterling silver jump rings, ear wires, and beads to complete 3 pairs of earrings. 

 

Students should bring

Students should bring 2 pairs of pliers with smooth jaws. The instructor recommends that flat nose pliers are best suited for chain maille, but you can use what you feel most comfortable with – any combination of 2 chain nose, bent chain nose or flat nose pliers. Metalwerx has pliers available for shared use as well. 

In addition to pliers, students should bring:

  • Vision enhancement/magnification if necessary
  • Beading mat (optional)
 

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