Celtic Jewelry Making: Step By Step

It’s very difficult to create anything that has any significance if you don’t properly understand the historical background of the subject you are working in. Celtic Jewelry making is no different, so let’s discuss a couple culturally interesting facts about before we get into making something.

We have Celtic jewelry from way back before the birth of Christ, the Celts believed that they would be reincarnated. Reincarnation is a significant aspect to how the Celts created jewelry. The symbolism they used represented the immortality of the soul as well as how they believed their influence on human civilization was a gift.

For Instance:

The Latin Triquetra which literally means the “three cornered” and was later representative of the Holy Trinity

The greek symbol Triskelion: which means “three-legged.” If you look closely, the knots are made to look like three legs running. It has been known to symbolize man’s progress.

The five fold pattern represented balancing of 4 aspects of particular subjects. For instance stations, you had druids, farmers, bards, and soldiers. The fifth fold, which was the area of intersection of all the main 4 folds, represented nobility.

The infamous Crosses: represents the connection of heaven and earth. This was considered to be our link between the physical and spiritual.

Some typical design ideas the Celts used are spirals, interlaced spirals and knots. Bronze is an excellent metal to start practicing with when starting out.

Check out sample designs and patterns available for Celtic jewelry making and choose which among them you would like to follow. It is good to start with the simpler ones and look for designs that have personal meaning to you. This way, you are keeping the tradition of Celtic jewelry making.

Practice your desired pattern on a piece of paper. Graphing papers are good tools for Celtic jewelry making to exact the sizes of your curves and distances.

Choosing the proper wire gauge is a necessary step. For instance if you are making a brooch choose the thicker wire and for rings or bracelets pick the thinner wire.

Determine how long the wire is and cut it vigilantly. Remember to always add about 1 to 2 inch extra from your desired length for additional adjustments. The wire length would rely on the kind as well as the size of the jewelry you are planning to make. There are some charts available online that you can check in case you are a bit cautious.

What you are going to need after you have your cut wire are chain nose pliers and round nose pliers. The round nose pliers are useful for smaller loops while the chain nose pliers are great for larger loops

Make sure you use clips to secure your creations or they are going to pull apart. At the very least bend the wire into a hook at their ends and use that.

Learn about mens celtic jewelry over at fine celtic jewelry.