I Need a Serious Critique, More Like HELP!

[jewelrybyjanelle50]

I need some critiquing and help on wrapping these beautiful citrine briolettes so they are sellable. The holes in these are so small I had to use a 28ga nontarnish craft wire. I could only get one wire through the hole, so I doubled the wire to wrap them and to go through the earring finding. I tried tucking in the ends so they wouldn't stick out like they do, but the wire is so small and bendable that it just kinked it instead of tucking it. Any suggestions??

[MrsWTownsend]

Sometimes, when I'm using really fine wire like that, instead of trying to tuck it afterward I leave the last couple of wraps around the piece a little loose, run my end wire under the last couple of wraps and then tighten the wraps up on top of the end wire and clip it flush.  I hope that makes sense 'cause it's hard to describe...

[jewelrybyjanelle50]

Yes, it makes sense. I think I tried that with no success, the wires wouldn't tighten back up for me . I think I tried like three times to fix them in different ways :'(

It just looks so messy...

[MrsWTownsend]

I was looking at the beads and thinking, since they have such tiny holes (as all gorgeous stone beads do, it seems), another option could be to run the fine wire though the bead and create a small bail, then use a larger gauge wire to connect the bead bail with the finding and wrap over the smaller bail/bead.

Maybe another thing to try is to wrap the end wire on one or both sides of the "triangle" wire that runs up from the bead hole.

[jewelrybyjanelle50]

I was looking at the beads and thinking, since they have such tiny holes (as all gorgeous stone beads do, it seems), another option could be to run the fine wire though the bead and create a small bail, then use a larger gauge wire to connect the bead bail with the finding and wrap over the smaller bail/bead.

Maybe another thing to try is to wrap the end wire on one or both sides of the "triangle" wire that runs up from the bead hole.

I never thought of either one of these ideas, will try them, and thanks Gina! I sure am glad I bought a whole spool of this, and that it wasn't sterling wire. 

[MakinTheBestOfIt]

Keep us posted...great blog post idea...the before and after to show how talented you've gotten!

[Dragonclaw]

I was looking at the beads and thinking, since they have such tiny holes (as all gorgeous stone beads do, it seems), another option could be to run the fine wire though the bead and create a small bail, then use a larger gauge wire to connect the bead bail with the finding and wrap over the smaller bail/bead.

Maybe another thing to try is to wrap the end wire on one or both sides of the "triangle" wire that runs up from the bead hole.

This seems to be the best solution... or you could try to drill the holes bigger with a dremel tool and diamond bits... but there is always the risk of breaking the beads :'(when you try that

[trusk4u]

If you do the triangle thing, they will loook something like these. Don't mind the picture, I have to re do these. But it will give you an idea of how they will look. The rest of my wire has French wire slipped over it.

[MakinTheBestOfIt]

I was looking at the beads and thinking, since they have such tiny holes (as all gorgeous stone beads do, it seems), another option could be to run the fine wire though the bead and create a small bail, then use a larger gauge wire to connect the bead bail with the finding and wrap over the smaller bail/bead.

Maybe another thing to try is to wrap the end wire on one or both sides of the "triangle" wire that runs up from the bead hole.

This seems to be the best solution... or you could try to drill the holes bigger with a dremel tool and diamond bits... but there is always the risk of breaking the beads :'(when you try that

How many have you broken???  Want to compare glass shards and pieces?  (see scar here from flying sea glass bits when a piece broke and flew across the room  )

[MrsWTownsend]

This seems to be the best solution... or you could try to drill the holes bigger with a dremel tool and diamond bits... but there is always the risk of breaking the beads :'(when you try that

How many have you broken???  Want to compare glass shards and pieces?  (see scar here from flying sea glass bits when a piece broke and flew across the room  )

  No kidding!  Even by hand with a bead reamer they crumble into a million tiny little pieces!  Does it chap your hide as much as it chaps mine?

[MakinTheBestOfIt]

This seems to be the best solution... or you could try to drill the holes bigger with a dremel tool and diamond bits... but there is always the risk of breaking the beads :'(when you try that

How many have you broken???  Want to compare glass shards and pieces?  (see scar here from flying sea glass bits when a piece broke and flew across the room  )

  No kidding!  Even by hand with a bead reamer they crumble into a million tiny little pieces!  Does it chap your hide as much as it chaps mine?

I just sit stunned for a while and then decide if I should cry or throw something...then it is off to find all those little pieces so that little feet and furry feet don't get cut.

[jewelrybyjanelle50]

Keep us posted...great blog post idea...the before and after to show how talented you've gotten!

Kim, thanks for the vote of confidence! LOL If I had gotten that much better, this dag nabbed post wouldn't be up here!

[jewelrybyjanelle50]

They just need to drill bigger holes in these to start with. 

[MakinTheBestOfIt]

They just need to drill bigger holes in these to start with. 

But look at all the fun you would be missing out on 

[Dragonclaw]

I was looking at the beads and thinking, since they have such tiny holes (as all gorgeous stone beads do, it seems), another option could be to run the fine wire though the bead and create a small bail, then use a larger gauge wire to connect the bead bail with the finding and wrap over the smaller bail/bead.

Maybe another thing to try is to wrap the end wire on one or both sides of the "triangle" wire that runs up from the bead hole.

This seems to be the best solution... or you could try to drill the holes bigger with a dremel tool and diamond bits... but there is always the risk of breaking the beads :'(when you try that

How many have you broken???  Want to compare glass shards and pieces?  (see scar here from flying sea glass bits when a piece broke and flew across the room  )

Been there done that... lol