Beaded Chain Mail Jewelry: Timeless Techniques with a Twist (Lark Jewelry Books) [Hardcover]

Dylon Whyte (Author)

Book Description

Series: Lark Jewelry Books | Publication Date: January 6, 2009

Chain mail is one of the hottest jewelry trends out there; add beads and the style positively sizzles. Who could resist? Bestselling author and chain mail expert Dylon Whyte presents his time-tested, time-saving techniques with more than 30 breathtaking projects, ranging from extremely simple to challenging.
A thorough introduction, illustrated with computer-generated pictures, covers the basics of chain mail techniques. Then Whyte reveals his patented, perfected beading method: rather than using difficult wire-wrapping, he threads the beads directly onto the rings before they’re fashioned into chain mail.
The exciting collection of 30 projects includes a delicate Persian patterned anklet, embellished with tiny silver bells; an amethyst opera-length necklace; and silver earrings shaped like inverted peacock feathers, edged with rings and turquoise beads.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A gorgeous primer on doing jewelry-quality chain mail pieces. The introduction is well written and covers the tools you'll be using and the materials and how best to pick beads to design jewelry with. The focus of this book is using pre-made jump rings, and (the author) provides sources and sizes for all the projects in the book. He explains basic chain mail weaves and techniques. The projects are lovely. You will need to read the instructions as well as look at the diagrams, but he has color-coded the diagrams to show which rings are closed, which you're adding, and which rings are from the previous step. Some of the simplest projects, built around plain cable chains are stunning and success with those will give you the confidence to go to a more difficult project. My favorite projects in the book range in difficulty: the very easy and wearable Gypsy Cuff Earrings; the slightly more difficult Möbius Knot Bail; and the definitely-have-to-take-it-on-step-at-a-time Bronze Age Bolo tie, which features a Byzantine weave chain and a donut bezeled in chain mail. I know a lot of people have been very interested in chain mail lately, and this book is a nice one to add to your library if you've ever had an interest in making chain mail jewelry, or if you simply want to be able to make your own chains." - BellaOnline

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Lark Crafts (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600592201
• ISBN-13: 978-1600592201
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Would recommend for novices all the way to expert dabblers!, December 10, 2008

By 

N. Smith (CT, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beaded Chain Mail Jewelry: Timeless Techniques with a Twist (Lark Jewelry Books) (Hardcover)

A great chain mail jewelry book that uses quality metal materials and glass beads to make classy pieces for all ages. The book has the usual intro section on making/buying the jump rings, bending them right, info on tools with tips to use and care for them.

Chain work includes variations of basic cable 2-in-2, spiral chain (on the cover), euro 4-in-1, byzantine, "rings of Saturn", and a persian star pattern. This book includes instruction for all the weaves and incorporates them into 26 projects for you to try.

I think this is a great book to look at linking rings or chain making in a whole new way! I think of "chain maille" as something pretty time consuming, but most of the projects in this book could be made in one sitting if you're worried about the time involved!

Lots of creative ways to use crow / roller beads, but I gave it 4-stars for NOT showing designs with gems, stones, PMC or polymer clay. 1 pendant has a swarovski crystal. The book mentions hole-size as the problem there, but I know a review-reading artist like you can over come this! Plenty of ways out there to make or buy something a jump ring can link through, but it doesn't look like the author really gave this honorable mention. He's in it for the chain and beads are an afterthought, whereas I'm more focused on beads and want spiffy ways to display them. ;-) All-in-all a wonderful learning book with eye candy type inspiration to make your own variations!

Any renaissance faire goer is going to LOVE the Gypsy Cuff earrings! As a lampworker I adored the Drops of Jupitor design as my personal favorite! Definitely going to make me one of those! I also thought his method of caging a donut looked impressive, and I can't imagine why the Adromeda necklace wasn't chosen as the cover piece! I'll upload pictures of my favorites in a minute!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must have!, December 20, 2008

By 

Marian Kolbel (Plant Earth) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beaded Chain Mail Jewelry: Timeless Techniques with a Twist (Lark Jewelry Books) (Hardcover)

My friend showed me their copy of this book and now I absolutely must have it for my own! Mom? This is what I want for Christmas!! I just can't get enough of Dylon Whyte's instructionals!

I have purchased some of Dylon's tutorials off his Etsy website and have his first book, The Art of Chainmail Vol. 1, plus a book that he illustrated for Lark Publishing including serveral different chainmail designers, "Chain Mail Jewelry: Contemporary Designs from Classic Techniques" - I just have to say that Dylon's instructionals are fantastic! Whether they are self published by the master himself, or done through a big publisher like Lark - they are high quality and professional through and through! Super easy to understand and that's saying something, because English is not my first language and very hard for me to understand when in written instructions. The picture tutorials make it well worth the effort to pick up a copy of this book!

I've been making chainmail since 1994, when I first made a chainmail shirt for an SCA event out of 12 gauge, stainless steel, handcut... yeah, can you imagine? HAHAHAHA! Thank you Dylon Whyte and other great chainmail folks out there whom have shown me that there is definitely more to this whole chainmail business! And yes, I said business... if you are out there looking for ideas of things to make and sell or even give as gifts, the stuff in this book is just surely a bang for your buck!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is just pure eye candy!, December 20, 2008

By 

C. Steele (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beaded Chain Mail Jewelry: Timeless Techniques with a Twist (Lark Jewelry Books) (Hardcover)

Oh my goodness! I just love Dylon Whyte's chainmail jewelry. I have several pieces that I have purchased off his Etsy website. When I heard this book was coming out, I just had to order it and I am so glad I did! It is absolutely stunning!

Dylon is light years beyond my skill as a chainmail artisan, but his variety of work has given me so much encouragement to look at chainmail in a whole different way! I love his clearly illustrationed tutorials, they are so easy to read and follow! The instructions in the book are so simple and not at all difficult to understand. No scratching my head and puzzled look on my face trying to figure out what the heck it means!

Thank you Dylon Whyte for your time, energy and creativity to put out such a beautiful book on the art of chainmail! It is sure to be a classic on my bookshelf and will definitely be some nifty eye candy of inspiration! Also, a perfect gift for my chainmailin' friends!!