Two More Pieces of Chain Maille

[kerravonsen]

The first is a necklace "Under the Sea", which I actually finished in February, but didn't get around to scanning until now.



The earrings and pendant are Paua shell from New Zealand, part of a bag of shell-pieces I bought on a trip to NZ. I glued on bails with hot glue.
The chain part of the necklace is a double-spiral (aka Spiral 8-in-2) in Anodized Aluminium links (black, blue, purple, green, mint), inner diameter = 6.35mm, wire diameter = 1.2 mm, aspect ratio = 5.29. The triangle is made from the same links; the weave is European 8-in-2 (aka doubled European 4-in-1, aka Kinged European 4-in-1). The small rings dotted here and there are brass (plated black) inner diameter = 3.6mm, wire diameter = 1.2mm, aspect ratio = 3.
I love the colours of this one.


The second piece is a replacement chain for my fob watch. Not that the original chain was bad, but I wanted to replace the fastener (which was designed to hook over a button) with a proper clip which could clip on belt loops, and I thought that while I was at it, I could have a go at doing the somewhat difficult Jens Pind Linkage weave. Even with the helpful tutorial at M.A.I.L. it took me two or three tries to get the hang of it. (But I have to say that the M.A.I.L. tutorial was much more helpful than the one in my "Chainmaille Workshop" book, which surprised me, because that book hadn't let me down before.)



Links are plated brass (black, bronze-patina), ID=3.6mm, WD=1.2mm, AR=3.
I think this went better than my very first piece, the box chain, because this time I understood more about aspect ratio, and chose rings that were a better match for the weave.
I decided to do it in black and bronze rather than just bronze to lend it a little more interest.

Comments

[kalypso]

I particularly like the watch chain - the colours pick out the pattern on the watch.

I've got a watch chain, my great-grandfather's I think, in two colours - I'll try to remember to look for it and take a photo to show you.

[kerravonsen]

Thanks!

I was glad I was able to buy some links that went with it, though I hadn't expected the black links to blend well too. This chain is more solid and heavy than the original one, which was simply a strand of bronze-coloured curb-chain.

I've got a watch chain, my great-grandfather's I think, in two colours - I'll try to remember to look for it and take a photo to show you.

That would be interesting to see how they did it, yes.

[kalypso]

Hope this conveys something of it - it doesn't look quite right either with the flash or without it! Not sure what the not-gold metal is, but it doesn't need cleaning.

[kerravonsen]

Interesting. It looks like heavy-gauge curb-chain with alternating sections in different metals.

[kalypso]

I wear it as a necklace occasionally - it looks surprisingly modern for something that I think must be nineteenth-century.

[kerravonsen]

Hmmm, but I doubt that its original makers anticipated it would be worn as a necklace...

[watervole]

I was going to say almost exactly that! (except for the great-grandfather, clearly!)

[kittylefish.livejournal.com]

that necklace is gorgeous. and the chain goes very well with your beautiful watch.

[kerravonsen]

I cannot resist the combination of purple, blue and green.

The watch-chain is nicely solid at my waist.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Yes, all the colours of the sea in a perfect combination and with that Paua shell earrings, the necklace is simply fantastic!
Wow, and the watch chain - wonderful!

[kerravonsen]

Thank you. 8-)

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

I love the watch chain, a much better way to clip on the watch chain than you usually find on those things. Your watch looks exactly the same as my last watch. I had to replace it just last week as it stopped working.

[kerravonsen]

8-)

Most watch-chains seem to be designed to attach to the buttonholes of waistcoats. A pity that waistcoats with pockets are more difficult to find than fob-watches.