steelwire

Steel Wire

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Jewelry

Hammered Steel Collection

Tribute to Richard Salley

First in a series I'm currently working on using old pocket-watch innards (gotta love eBay!) with shaped and forged iron wire, beads, stone chips, sterling headpins and leather.

Glass Bead and Steel Wire Necklace

To fabricate the end cones, I forged steel wire flat, then annealed with torch and wound flattened wire around the end of a metal knitting needle. The resulting spiral was pinched tighter, and the rough corners filed down. Silver soldered spots were perposely not darkened to maintain the rough look.

S-Link Chain with Glass Beads

The S-links are connected with 18 ga steel wire jump rings to maintain flexibility. This closure is simply wrapped wire hook and eye from a smaller gauge iron wire.

I've recently been experimenting with forging steel wire, using simple rebar tie-back wire from the hardware store. Inspired by artist Richard Salley, whose article in a jewelry publication intrigued me. Now, I find myself drawn to the strong, magnetism of the humble iron wire. (pun intended)

The versatility of the dark gray metal contrasts and sets off the glass, pearls or stone of the beads I sometimes incorporate after shaping, soldering and polishing. If polished, the metal can shine. Oxidized or rusted, it shows another side of its personality.

Iron is harder (4.5-5 Mohs) than silver (2.5-3 on Mohs scale for mineral hardness) so harder on drill bits but still very workable and certainly less expensive given the current prices of silver and gold.