Skip to main content

Chainmaille with Beads and Crystals

Since maille became more popular for decorative and jewelry purposes rather than armor, there have been patterns and weaves designed that incorporate beads and crystals.  I have learned some weaves that use beads or crystals alongside the metal rings to add embellishment to the pieces themselves and some weaves that "capture" the bead/crystal in the mail and hold it without it actually being attached.  I'll get right to the pictures on this one since there will be a bit of a description of each piece.  As always, feel free to get in touch with me if you see something that interests you!  You can message me through here, here, or email me here.

African Bead Necklace, Bracelet, and Earrings
The African Beaded set includes hand-crafted beads known as Krobo Trade Beads from Ghana, Africa.  Each bead is made from recycled glass bottles and then hand-painted and sold using Fair Trade Principles.  This set is truly one-of-a-kind due to this. 














The next necklace is the Tear Drop Necklace, which uses the barrel weave to connect glass, teardrop-shaped beads together in small bunches. 
Tear Drop Necklace













Shaggy Loops Bracelet and Earrings


The Shaggy Loops bracelet and earring set use seed beads to add decoration and a little bit of jingle to a simple piece. 
The Spine of the Centipede Earrings













The Spine of the Centipede pieces uses Swarovski crystals embedded (with wire) into a lovely piece of maille jewelry to add a "spine" of sparkle.
The Spine of the Centipede Bracelets
The Lattice Bracelet and Earrings are made with Czech Quadralentil Beads. They are beautiful and unique beads with very pretty colors available.  This weave also makes a gorgeous set of earrings. 
Lattice Bracelet


Lattice Earrings





Captive Bead Bracelet and Earrings
Next is the Captive Bead Bracelet.  This one is unique because there is no wire or string holding the beads in place!  Only the rings are holding them in there.  The Flower Power Pendant uses this technique as well but adds a large ring around the outside to make the flower shape. 
Flower Power Pendant



 The Scarab Pendant is a VERY unique piece.  It is a rainbow hematite cabochon completely enclosed in rings, micro-gears, and rubber rings!  It is a little on the heavy side of necklaces but is truly beautiful.
Scarab Pendant
The next two pieces use Swarovski crystal rivolis.  They are simply being held in place by the rings themselves, like the captured beads above, there are no strings holding them in place.  They are Byzantine Captured Rivoli Pendants, one of which I made a small set of earrings in Byzantine Rose with a small crystal dangle to match and added a frog charm for a bit of fun.  These were made as Mother's Day gifts for my Mother-in-Law (purple) and my Mother (green) who loves frogs!

Byzantine Captured Rivoli Pendant
Byzantine Captured Rivoli Pendant with Earrings




















Whirlybird Pendant
The last picture on this page is an adorable pendant called a Whirlybird! It's (maybe) the size of an American Nickel coin and has a crystal trapped in there too! I call this one, in particular, my little ball of sunshine.  It's mostly due to the color and the little bit of sparkle that comes off of the crystal, but it can be done in any color you wish.



Rings, Kits, Crystals, and Beads for all pieces completed are from Weave Got Maille, American Chain Mail, Hyperlynks, Metal Designz.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jens Pind Linkage

Jens Pind Linkage, also known as JPL is generally considered a variation of the Spiral Weave, but it is tight enough that it doesn't unwind when unclasped.  It looks a bit like a rope so it works for just about anything!  I cannot find anything that explains the name, but I suppose it has something to do with either the technique or the creator of the weave since most I've come across usually do.  The JPL chain looks pretty and simple, but it requires very precise placement of each ring so that they maintain a consistent angle of overlap to hold the shape.  It is much easier to see when it is done in multiple colors but also looks lovely in a single color.  It is so versatile and can be done in so many styles (usually called JPL3, JPL5, etc.) for distinctly different looks.  I have only so far completed the JPL3 version in bright aluminum (single color) and anodized aluminum (three colors).   JPL3 in Bright Aluminum JPL3 in Anodized...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Captures

Pixie Snowflake The first of the new captures is called Pixie Snowflake.  It features a Swarovski Crystal Rivoli in Sapphire.  It is a gorgeous design from Dawdling Dragons.  This one is the pendant size, but it can also be made in earring size.   The second is called Crystal Cascade. This one, in particular, is made with rainbow hematite beads and a Swarovski Crystal Rivoli in the color called Vitrail Medium.  It is a stunning piece and, while a little big for any pendant I personally would wear, it is an amazing statement piece or even an ornament if you choose. Crystal Cascade Pendant The next is a collection of captures done in aluminum and rubber and connected with Byzantine units to support the weight and give the piece some stability.  It is the Galaxy Necklace and features Swarovski Crystal Rivolis in Emerald. Galaxy Necklace Galaxy Necklace Closeup Rings and Kits for all pieces completed are from Da...
Post a Comment
Read more

Christmas Pieces

I am so sorry I keep forgetting to update you all on my new pieces! I have a few things that I made for this past Christmas and suddenly realized I never shared them! Most of them are new colors on things you have seen before, but there are a couple of new ones: Inspiral Set in Anodized Aluminum  First, a couple of Christmas themed Inspiral bracelets with earrings to match either pair. Next, a variation of the Helm Weave bracelet with beads and colored rings to add a bit of festivity to your wrist. Beaded Helm Weave Bracelet in Aluminum Beaded Helm Weave closeup To follow those, we have a necklace and earrings set made to resemble a string of Christmas lights. Christmas Lights Necklace in Aluminum Christmas Lights Closeup Christmas Lights Earrings Next, I saw a posting on Facebook about this little Angel pendant. I was able...
Post a Comment
Read more