Ask the Experts Findings Q&A

I would like to form my own wire wrapped cones. How do I make these?

- Mary

Artistic Wire® Conetastic™ mandrels create custom wire cones and bead caps for jewelry designs. See how to use the mandrel with this tutorial.

Bezel mandrels and jump ring mandrels with multi-barrels can be used and produce a greater range of diameters in shaping wire cones.

An alternative to mandrels would be a form found around the house such as a pen tip, pencil tip or permanent marker tip. Another form would be a manufactured cone. Wrap the wire around this shape and create a larger diameter but similarly shaped wire cone. Use thick gauge round wire, such as 20-, 18- and 16-gauge to create sturdy conical components.

You can also generate a wire cone by forming a spiral then popping the smallest coil up and out with round-nose pliers, expanding the spiral into a cone shape. Different sizes of spirals yield different lengths and diameters of wire cones.

- Sandra Lupo, Metalsmith, Jewelry Artist and Instructor