I lovingly call this piece my blond abacus. It consists of a sterling silver metal bar with a howlite barrel bead riveted on. The howlite is riveted on a brass wire.

Materials:

• 7.5cm (3 inches) sterling silver rectangular wire (4mm (0.2inches) wide, 1mm high)
• Approximately 2.4cm (0.9inches) brass wire at least 1mm thick - if you have tubing in the studio rather use that - it is easier to rivet than wire
• Semi-precious bead - I used a dyed howlite cylinder bead  .9mm (.4inches) by approximately .6mm (0.2inches)
• Thin silver chain - approximately 64cm (25.2 inches)
• Finding - I used a bolt that was crimped onto the chain
• Pen (anything you can use to mark on silver)

Equipment:

• Soldering block
• Mandrel
• Saw
• Sand paper
• Files (for silver use)
• Propane/ butane torch
• Pickle and pickle pot
• Rinse bath
• Copper tongs
• Metal cutters
• Silver flux
• Drill and drill bit (big enough for the brass wire)
• Center punch or nail

Safety information

Be careful working with silver means that you work with hazardous chemicals and hot materials. Please follow general safety precautions while working with silver, read the MSDS for each chemical and if you have not done so yet, read an article dealing with general safety before doing this tutorial.
Always make sure that your work area is clear and that you wear protective goggles, shoes etc, tie long hair back, and don’t wear loose fitting clothes.

Method

Measure 7.5cm (3inches) of your rectangular wire and mark the edge. Let’s measure and mark everything we need. Measure half a centimetre from the edge and mark the spot with a line. This will become the top of the pendant where the silver chain will go through. The next 7 cm (2.8inches) will be the body of the pendant. Mark the centre of the piece i.e. 3.5cm (1.4inches).

We also have to mark out where we are going to drill the holes. Mark the centre of the first half centimetre (the hole for the top of the fitting for the chain). Mark half a centimetre on each side of the metal for the holes that the brass wire will go through. It is probably easier to just look at the picture [image 1] to see what I mean.

Saw the silver wire at the 7.5cm (3inches) mark. Next drill the holes. [Image 2.] You should drill three holes. Saw the first half centimetre [image 3]. Use your files to round the top of the half centimetre piece as well as both side of the long piece of silver.

Cut some silver solder, put the long piece of silver on your soldering block, put some flux on and make sure the half a centimetre of silver sits nicely in the middle of the piece. Image 4. Solder the piece. Image 5 shows how it should look now. Get rid of the fire scale by pickling your piece.

Bend the silver around your mandrel to get the u-shaped form take care to ensure the bit at the top is centred and the holes are even. Image 6 shows the form. I pushed my soldering tool through the holes so that you can see where they are.

Cut your brass wire. You have to measure it on your piece to be sure it is the right length. Leave an extra few millimetres on each side so that it can be flattened when we rivet the bead on. Make sure that the brass wire has a snug fit through the hole.

Slip the bead onto the brass wire and onto the silver metal. (Brass tubing is a lot easier to rivet instead of wire). Position it on your bench block and use the centre punch to help you hammer the rivet. Image 7.It is quite tricky to get this right, if you apply too much pressure when hammering your brass wire will bend. Turn it around and hammer on the other side. When the brass wire have flared out enough your rivet is complete. Make sure it is secure so that you don’t lose the bead.

The main body for the pendant is now complete.  

Cut a piece of silver chain attach the pendant and the finding. Image 8.