Most jewelry involves wire even if it is just a jump ring or link, and here is a whole book
filled with advice on how to achieve many different effects. Hammer it, twist it, make fancy
chains, wrap stones and even knit with it to enhance your creations.
If this is not you, then less than a quarter of the book is spent taking the reader from the
more basic techniques to the world of metalworking. So in a way the book can serve as a bridge
between two crafts, as well as teaching even a novice jewelry maker the basics. Subjects covered
include choosing tools that are going to serve you well, making jump rings, using jigs, selecting
wire for knitting and crochet, bending wire into fancy shapes, making clasps, and working with
memory wire.
I was impressed by the fact that unlike many craft books this really is one to grow with the
crafter as they progress from simple beginnings to the more advanced techniques. There are
projects to make, photos of finished pieces to inspire and lots of helpful staged methods with
plenty of captions, as well as clear colored photographs. At the back is a gallery of what can
be achieved, much of it if you work through the chapters, and a helpful list of suppliers and
societies in both the UK and US. I certainly learned a lot, and however many books there are on
the market about beads there are not many on this topic, which is fundamental to being a fully
fledged jewelry maker.