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Chain Maille Essentials
We may still be able to take additional students for this class. Please call Metalwerx for details. (781) 891-3854.
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 3-week hybrid workshop focuses on teaching students how to create 3 essential chain maille weaves, Byzantine, European 4-in-1 and Half Persian 3-in-1. These weaves form the basis for many more complicated chain maille weave patterns. One weave will be presented each week, in order of increasing complexity.
Students will have the opportunity to learn the weave presented by completing an anodized aluminum bracelet using jump rings in champagne and/or black ice (see photos). Weave variations and design options will be demonstrated or discussed for each pattern demonstrated. Each kit will contain enough jump rings to complete the bracelet, with plenty left over for making additional jewelry or exploring design variations demonstrated in class. Weekly lectures on topics such as Chain Maille Basics, Tool Tips, Aspect Ratio and the Care of Chain Maille will be presented. Students will also receive a color handout documenting each step in the construction of the weaves presented.
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
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
The $60 materials kit includes almost 2,000 Black Ice and Champagne colored anodized aluminum jump rings in the correct gauges for class projects as well as several clasps, and a 50 page color handout documenting everything covered in class.
Please note that Metalwerx has pliers and optivisors on hand if students do not already have these tools. Keep in mind, you might have to share.
- 2 pairs of pliers with smooth jaws - (I feel 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.)
- Optivisor or other form of magnification if necessary