How Do I Choose the Right Jewelry? - Chain Types

The use of chain in jewelry design has always been an important element.  One of the most common uses of chain is as a foundation for holding a pendant.  From the single diamond to an intricately woven wire pendant, chain has graced the necks of many women and men throughout the ages.  In more recent years, chain has become more popular and has, as a result, taken on new dimensions.  Here are some samples of the types of chain available on the market.


Cable chain:  also known as link chain, this chain consists of the same size round or oval links. This is one of the most popular styles for displaying a pendant or gemstone.

Ball chain:  also known as bead chain, resembles round beads evenly spaced along a piece of chain with a small space in between each bead.


Rolo chain:  this chain consists of round links usually the same size and connected together.

Figaro chain:  this chain has flattened links of several sizes, laid out in a repeating pattern.  Usually the pattern is 2 or 3 short links then a longer link.

Curb chain:  also known as gourmette chain, this chain closely resembles cable chain, but the links are usually lying flat.

Chain comes in many metal finishes and colors.  Fine silver, sterling silver, gold and silver plate are the standbys. But newer types of metals and finishes are being used too.  As the price of silver and gold increased,  additional types of chain were created for use in jewelry making: silver filled, gold filled, nickel, aluminum, steel and rhodium.

The chain category also includes more elaborate chain types, often combining forms of chain with other elements. For example, cup chain  includes a crystal or pearl in a setting that has been attached to chain in the form of a link.
Silver silk capture chain consists of fine wire knitted around tiny ball chain, capturing the light that reflects off the ball chain and adding strength to the knitted wire.

iKandies Unique Custom Jewelry incorporates many different chain styles and colors into their custom jewelry pieces.  Below are two examples of how we do this.

 Hundreds of tiny copper plated leaves dangling from antique copper plated chain serve as the backdrop for pearls and Swarovski crystals in our Copper Pearly Waterfall Necklace.  


 In our Copper Leaf Necklace, large copper oval links joined together with smaller round links provide the chain base for a copper leaf and boro glass.

To see more ways that iKandies Unique Custom Jewelry uses chain in their necklaces, bracelets and earring designs, please visit our shop at Etsy or our website at www.ikandies.com.

Bead Fest Philadelphia

Bead Fest is a bead and jewelry show where jewelry designers at all levels of expertise enhance their skills or learn new skills from talented instructors.  Added to this is a Shopping Expo featuring hundreds of exhibitors displaying beads, gems, tools.. everything you need to design beautiful jewelry.  Bead Fest Philadelphia is the largest show of its kind on the East Coast with 170 workshops and 350 exhibitors.  No wonder iKandies is excited about attending this event!  

We recently began exploring the world of metal working at the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee.  Here are a few pics of a Fold form bracelet that was constructed at that show:

Adding texture to copper piece

Getting ready to fire enamel to a copper piece

            For Bead Fest we decided to sign up for two of Debora Mauser's classes:

Squiggles Cold Connections

Wild Woman Bangles

We'll post the results of our classes when we return from the show!

Button, Button Who Has the Button?

Acrylic Peach Button Bracelet

 One of iKandies more recent sales was a unique button bracelet.

 At the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show early in 2011, I came across a vendor selling all the pieces needed to make a button bracelet. 

This included a base metal bracelet blank base, mother of pearl buttons in creams and greys and metal buttons. 

The pearl and metal buttons were layered in different ways on the bracelet base and these designs made quite a statement. I was inspired by the idea but wanted to brighten it up a bit. So as I was designing my take on a button bracelet, I remembered the acrylic flowers I had used in a necklace design and decided to incorporate them into my bracelet.

The finishing touch was to add some beadwork the middle of each flower or button component.  And Viola!  My Acrylic Peach Button Bracelet and Acrylic Burgundy Button Bracelet were born!

Acrylic Burgundy Button Bracelet

 For my next button project, I thought I'd try to create a design using these gorgeous Czech glass buttons...

Glass buttons from vintage molds

iKandies' Beads On the Block Posts its First Entry!

Welcome to ikandies' first blog post on Beads on the Block!  Who is ikandies' and why was Beads on the Block created?  ikandies is a website showcasing custom designed jewelry for the discriminating customer looking for truly unique accessories.  Using jewelry components such as Swarovski crystals, pearls, Czech glass, sterling silver, copper, gunmetal, gemstones and more, we have created jewelry that is "not only visually appealing, but also unique."  Our designs include simple bead stringing, bead stitching and weaving, metal working, and wire wrapping.  We have also incorporated unique objects into some of our designs including electro plated "real" leaves, copper washers, sheet metal and watch parts. You can visit our website at ikandies or our Etsy site ikandies Etsy Shop.   We can be reached by email at kkrizzy@hotmail.com

We created this blog for two reasons:

• To help you learn more about us, projects we're working on, classes we're taking to learn new skills, new jewelry components we're experimenting with, and much more. 
• To share with you all the wonderful bead stores we've visited, where to find good bargins when buying beads and supplies, who is selling unique components, and the bead shows you don't want to miss.

Please be patient as we get the ball (or should I say "bead") rolling on this blog!