Featured Artist - Rita Moehler

Snowflake Pendant by Rita Moehler

Isn't this piece just incredible?

This demonstrates a way of thinking outside the box while designing chainmaille jewellery. The centrepiece of the Snowflake is an icy, faceted rainbow moonstone, from which sections of Byzantine radiate out to form the flake pattern. Rita has managed to find the perfect combination of ring sizes, which is no mean feat! Not a ring is out of place, and the piece is woven tightly enough to hold its shape. I just love the perfect symmetry of this design.

Please visit Rita's Etsy shop to see more of her creations.

Sterling Silver - Only For The Rich?

The price of silver has just skyrocketed in the past few weeks.

Looking at the price per gram in which I purchase my supplies, I calculated that if it were to continue at this rate, a bracelet made at the end of the year will cost $50 more in raw materials than it would if made now. $50! I can't sustain that, and I'm sure most of you out there wouldn't see the value in it. I'd like to say "surely it can't continue like this", but I'm afraid I don't have history on my side.

“The silver price has bounced 27% since January 28, a huge advance for a measly 16 trading days. It's already soared past its 2010 high and was selling for less than $16 this time last year, a double in 12 months” Jeff Clark, Silverseek.

Will this push the price of Sterling Silver jewellery out of the reach of the average person? Is it time to look at base metals, such as copper, brass and bronze? These are now becoming more popular, driven by necessity based on the price of silver. What are your thoughts?

Second Batch of Rings Listed

Finally got some sunny hours, so it was straight out with the camera. This batch of jump rings have an Aspect Ratio of 5, so they are suitable for:

• European 6-in-1
• Queen's Link (also known as Box Chain)
• Double Spiral (also known as Rope Chain)
• Half Persian 4-in-1

Double spiral makes a solid chain, that holds the spiral shape. Single spiral has to be twisted each time it is worn. Although it makes a lovely chain, that's a little bit more than most people want to have to do!

Next Batch of Jump Rings ... Nearly

After 6 days in a row of over 40^C at the beginning of this month, I am appreciating every single day of grey skies and rain that we are experiencing now. Unfortunately, I like to take my photographs outside in full sunlight, so that means even though my next batch of jump rings has been fully tested and are ready to list ... no can do, at this time. However, I thought I would give you a teaser of some of the weaves you'll be able to make with this AR.

European 6-in-1, Queen's Link (Box Chain) and Double Spiral (Rope) Chain

And The Winner Is...

Congratulations! Alex will be receiving the following pair of Sterling Silver Byzantine Earrings as a thank you for being one of the first people to "Like" NexusMaille on Facebook!

Custom Facebook URL (Username)

Thank you to all of the wonderful people who have "Liked" me on Facebook. This has allowed me to apply for a custom URL, so I can now be found at www.facebook.com/nexusmaille, instead of having a long string of digits there. (I've just found out that these are also referred to as "vanity URLs" - doesn't say too much about my personal character, does it?)

I don't know if you were aware of this, but anyone who has more than 25 people liking them can create their own Username for a Facebook URL. Just a few things to be careful of - firstly, you are not guaranteed to get the name you want, as each name is unique and can never be used again. The second thing is - once you have chosen the name, there is no going back... so make sure you spell it correctly when you type it in, and if you have more than one page, make sure you attach it to the correct page!

Click here to link to the Help page on Facebook.

To show my gratitude, I will be creating a pair of Sterling Silver chainmaille earrings, and holding a random draw of Facebook fans. Stay tuned!

First Rings Listed!

I have listed my first batch of jump rings. There are 4 sizes of AR 3.5, which means they will be suitable for:

• Byzantine
• Euro 4-in-1
• Turkish Round
• Gridlock (Corduroy)
• Classic 2 in 2 chain

What will be next? I'd love to hear your opinions on which is your favourite weave - both to create, and to look at. Please leave your comments here, or participate in the discussion on my Facebook page.

Experimenting for the Perfect Aspect Ratio

Measuring Sterling Silver Jump Rings to determine the perfect Aspect Ratio

In preparing my first batch of sterling silver jump rings, I have been experimenting to determine how to create the perfect Aspect Ratio for Byzantine (which is 3.5). Did you know that a difference of 0.05mm in mandrel size actually does translate to the created rings? Granted, it is not much of a difference, and they are perfectly serviceable, but that is not what I am about. I want my rings to be the as close as possible to the perfect AR. The wire temper, the winding method and the kerf size can all have an effect on the size of the mandrel needed to create the final AR in a closed ring. This means I have been winding, cutting, tumbling, measuring - and repeat. And repeat. And repeat. I have finally settled on the mandrel sizes I will be using for 0.8mm, 0.9mm, 1.0mm and 1.2mm sterling jump rings. Keep an eye on my Etsy store - they will be listed soon!