bail Archives - Filigree Beading .com

13Jul

By filigreebeNo Comments

Brooch Pins

My deepest gratitude to good friend and very talented designer Willie Zuniga who submitted this lesson on how to make a brooch pin. She is kind enough to share some of her techniques with you so that you can use that knowledge to make designs of your own. This copyrighted design is intended for learning purposes only and should not be copied for resale, either whole or in part. Start with setting #L52. Using small wire cutters nip off the loop. Remember, the technique is what you are learning, so be sure to look at all the other pieces on the site which can be used in the same way. Push the two opposing prongs of setting #S193 through the openings in filigree #D51. Set an 18mm stone into the setting and push the prongs down. Glue the edges of t...

Unique Bails

A unique bail can make all the difference in the look of your finished project. Here are some ideas to help you create unique bails from which to hang your pendants. Try folding over a connector which is the correct size and shape then add a jump ring as in item A. You can also use one link of rollo chain as in item B in the first photo. Any unsoldered larger link chain which has the right size and shape links can be used as a bail. In this photo you see a bail made from our long bar filigree #B33. This technique combines settings of various sizes with the rings either nipped off or turned downward so that you can attach other items. You can also use any of our ring findings as a bail as shown in the photo below. ...

Pendant Lesson

Functional elements such as bails and clasps are required for every project to make the piece wearable. Consider a pendant without a bail for example. The pendant would not face forward if you simply threaded a ribbon or chain through it's loop. Standard loops are attached to the top of the setting or stamping with the hole facing the same way as the setting, so a bail is needed to join the chain to the pendant loop. A bail is often the least attractive component in an otherwise fabulous design. A pretty pendant is missing something if only a simple large rather ugly jump ring is used as a bail. Failing to consider the style of these elements can ruin the balance of an otherwise beautiful piece of jewelry. Every part should complement the main focal point. As in architecture and...