Stephen Luekenhoff

My pendants are made mostly from natural stones, however I do occasionally use man made product. The process of wire wrapping involves measuring the stone and cutting the appropriate amount of sterling silver wire to form a frame around the stone. Multiple pieces of wire (6 to 10) are stacked on top of each other to form the frame, which is secured by wrapping wire around the frame wires to create bindings. Bending the top and bottom wires creates the retainers that hold the stone in place. The final step is making the bail which secures the stone in the frame and creates a loop for a chain to pass through. Typically the creation of a pendant utilizes 5 to 10 feet of wire.