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Freeform wire wrap jewelry workshop at Crater of Diamonds By Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Through the variety of park programs I present each year, I meet many people who enjoy the pastime of lapidary, or working with stone. Some simply like visiting locations like the Crater and searching for assorted precious and semi-precious stones, which they have shaped and mounted by skilled gem cutters and jewelers, while others own their own equipment to cut, smooth, polish, and mount the stones they find. One craft enjoyed by many lapidarists is wire wrapping, an ancient jewelry-making technique that is still widely popular today. Wire wrapping involves the art of securing stones and beads with brass, copper, silver, or gold jewelry wire and other findings to create rings, pendants, bracelets, and other forms of fine jewelry. Pieces are created entirely by hand and do not require soldering or other heat treatments. For this reason, wire wrapped jewelry is not generally mass produced but created individually by the hands of craftspeople. Wire wrapping requires focus, practice, and patience but can be fairly inexpensive and lots of fun to learn and share! There are many styles of wire wrapping, and designs may be as simple or elaborate as the artisan wishes. One fairly simple, yet beautiful, style is freeform wire wrapping. Freeform requires only a few tools, the most important being the hands and imagination! Just about any type of stone can be used, including many found here at the Crater of Diamonds. With no strict patterns or guidelines to follow, freeform jewelry can be customized to show off the personality of the artisan or wearer! On Saturday, September 24, Crater of Diamonds State Park will host a Freeform Wire Wrap Jewelry workshop in our Diamond Discovery Center classroom. This workshop is for those, ages 13 and up, who want to get started in wire wrapping or for anyone needing to “brush up” on the basics. We’ll discuss the basic tools and materials used to create wire wrapped jewelry and then demonstrate the freeform style. All participants will also receive a kit with wire, pliers, and instructions to get started in this fun pastime!
Cost is $30 per person, and space is limited to 15 participants, with a minimum of three required. Call Crater of Diamonds State Park at 870-285-3116 by September 21 to sign up with a park interpreter for this workshop, and learn to make jewelry that exhibits a bit of your own personality! Search area last plowed: August 30, 2011 Most recent significant precipitation: August 29, 2011 Diamond finds for September 4 - 10, 2011 (100 points = one carat): September 4 - Terry Staggs, Anniston, AL, 3 pt. brown, 22 pt. white; Maria Garcia, Lincoln, AR, 30 pt. white September 5 - Eugene Comer, Queen City, TX, 94 pt. white; Ivan Cardenas, Lincoln, AR, 22 pt. white September 6 - Susan Anderson, Knoxville, IA, 10 pt. brown September 7 - Greg Baynham, Avon, IN, 8 pt. white September 9 - Al Fling, Murfreesboro, AR, 1.44 ct. white September 10 - Kenny & Melissa Oliver, Rosston, AR, 4 pt. white, 5 pt. brown; Clara Easterling, Wichita Falls, TX, 89 pt. brown; Mark Powell & Sharon Staton, Clermont, FL, 6 pt. yellow, 13 pt. white |
209 State Park Road
Murfreesboro, AR 71958
Email: craterofdiamonds@arkansas.com
Phone: (870) 285-3113
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