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Hi, I just happened across your site while getting ideas for my wire wrap gemstones and sea glass.

The fact that you give away information, don’t insist personal information, has bought my business already.

To add to the joy (yes, I’m prone to hyperbole but I’m absolutely enchanted with your business model), you add stone treatment information rather than burying it somewhere.

It’s very important to me to be able to tell my customers the what’s been done to their stones, the quality, source and composition of the gems they buy.

I believe I’m the only vendor to have the FCC and AGIA disclosure booklets available at any festival I’ve attended.

You have a customer now and, if OK, I will use your page on stone treatments, with proper attribution of course, as a handout at my next festival the end of this month.

Brightest blessings,

Liz

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Stone Treatment Codes

(B) block
(C) coated
(D) dyed
(E) enhanced
(H) heated
(I) irradiation
(F) infused
(M) man made - synthetic
(N) natural
(O) oiled
(P) pressed
(S) stabilized
(W) waxed

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Wire Wrapped Ring Tutorial

Free tutorial on how to make a wire wrapped ring with a quartz crystal, long stone, or long cabochon.

  How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

Bingo Ring Tutorial

Szarka Carter, Magpie Gemstones

This is a ring that I have made for decades. It is quick, fun and secure. It takes only a bit of time to learn and after a bit of practice, you can have this mastered. Once you have this down you can get creative and make it uniquely your own. Twist the wires that go over the top of the stone, add beads, create designs with the wire, frame the rock with the wire. Play with this basic structure once you have it securely held and have fun!


Materials

  • 18 gauge dead soft wire – approximately 2.5 feet (more for large ring)
  • Stone – elongated without a hole – stone selection is important due to the manner in which this ring is made


Tools

  • Ring mandrel or dowel the size of the ring you are making
  • Chain nose pliers
  • Flush cutters
  • Small hammer


How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

Steps


1 Measure and flush cut approximately 2.5 feet of 18 gauge wire (longer for large ring).


2 Place the center of the wire on the top of the ring mandrel and wrap each end to the back and then around again to the front.


3 Repeat step 2 ending with the wire ends in the front as shown in the picture.








How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

4 Leave the wire on the mandrel and cross the wires in the center of the wraps. To accomplish this, turn the top wire down towards the larger end of the mandrel and the bottom wire up towards the smaller end as shown in the picture.













How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

5 Form a flat circle on the top of the ring band by continuing to wrap the wire ends in a circular fashion around the circle you created as shown below.














How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

6 Wrap the wire around the circle about 3 times. You want this circular wrap to lay flat on the ring band wires. (Don’t lose any sleep over making a perfect circle. This is really for support and doesn’t show.) Gently hammer it flat while still on the mandrel. (Yes, that’s a hammer in the top right of the photo.)














How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

7 Remove the ring from the mandrel.


8 Take one end of the wire and wrap it once around the ring band on the side of the swirl. Start this wrap on the top of the ring band. Use your chain nose pliers to gently press down this wrap down on the ring band.












How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

9 Repeat step 8 with the other wire end.
















How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

10 Center the elongated stone on top of the flat wire circle perpendicular to that circle.


11 Wrap one end of the wire around the stone from underneath the stone to the top two times. (Yes, this is tricky, but you can do it!)












How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

12 Repeat step 11 with the other side.















How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.

13 Wrap the wire end around the ring band again at least two times. Press this against the ring band with your chain nose pliers.


14 Flush cut off the excess wire.













How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.


15 Repeat step 13 & 14 with the other wire.


16 Use your chain nose pliers to gently twist each wire that is on top of the stone taking care not to scratch the stone or mar the wire. This will tighten the wire enough to hold the stone in place.


From here is where you can get creative and make it uniquely your own. Twist the wires that go over the top of the stone, add beads, create designs with the wire. Play with this basic structure once you have it securely held and have fun!


GOOD LUCK!


Helpful Photos

How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.


How to wire wrap a quartz crystal, a long stone or a long cabochon into a simple ring - free tutorial bfrom Magpie Gemstones.


Tutorial by Szarka Carter

Photos by Tera Carter

Written by Karen Meader

I found a video tutorial Denise Mathews created of the same ring. 

**Contributing authors are noted. All articles are copyright. You can reprint these articles as long as this website is linked. The name Magpie Gemstones must be used as the hypertext.


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