How to Make a Briolette Wrapped Loop
Briolettes are beautiful in jewelry designs. They can be used when stringing a design using Accu-Flex® Professional Quality Beading Wire or other stringing material. They can also be changed into a charm or pendant by creating a wrapped-loop that captures the briolettes. Once you have a wrapped briolette, you can attach them to a finding, chain or jumpring.
See how easy it is to create professional jewelry with jewelry-making expert Tammy Honaman using briolette beads and the wrapped loop technique. This three-minute video tutorial from Fire Mountain Gems shows you how.
Instructions
Step 1
Cut a 3-1/2 inch length of wire.
Forming the first loop:
Step 2
Grasp the wire, about 1-1/2 inches from one end and bend until the wire forms a ''V'' shape. Put the briolette onto the wire from the longer end and slide it close to the bend in the wire.
Step 3
Grasp the other side of the wire, about 1/4 inch over from the hole in the briolette. Bend the wire until it crosses the first wire, forming a triangle.
Step 4
Grasp the shorter length of wire where it meets the longer wire at the top of the triangle, then bend to the side so it is angled to the left or right of the briolette.
Step 5
Grasp the longer wire where it meets the shorter wire at the top of the triangle, then bend so the wire is straight up from the briolette. The angles of the triangle should now be nice and sharp.
Step 6
Place the tip of the chain-nose pliers across the triangle section, below the bend. Using a pair of round-nose pliers, grasp the end of the wire and wrap it around the straight length of wire above the bend, making approximately two tightly-wound wraps. Trim any excess wire then press in the cut end with chain-nose pliers.
Forming the second loop:
Step 7
Hold the round-nose pliers horizontally and grip the wire directly above the last wrap you created in Step 6.
Step 8
With your free hand, bend the tip of the wire to form a 90 degree angle. Place the pliers into the angled section vertically so one barrel is above and one is below the wire. Bring the wire up and over the top barrel of the pliers so it is now facing down at an angle.
Step 9
Reposition the pliers so they are horizontal again, with one barrel in the loop and one out and to the right. With chain-nose pliers, or your free hand, grasp the tip of the wire and direct it behind the length of wire extending below the loop you just created.
Optional:
Before finishing the second loop, open the loop slightly and slide onto your chain or finding; close the loop.
Step 10
Grip across the loop with your chain-nose pliers.
Step 11
Grasp the tip of the wire with the chain-nose pliers and wrap it around the straight length of wire below the loop, making approximately three tightly-wound wraps. Trim any excess wire then press in the cut end with chain-nose pliers.
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