The History of Wire-Wrapped Jewelry

 

            Examples of wire wrapped jewelry techniques date back to thousands B.C. Examples exist from the Sumerian Dynasty, containing spiraled wire components. The Phoenicians hammered gold or silver into thin sheets, cut them into narrow strips, and sanded the edges, producing a thin wire-like strip.  The wire was woven into decorations for breastplates. Other specimens from Rome show wire wrapped loops. Soldering techniques developed later, yet wire wrapping continued to be popular, since it was easy and economical to produce.

 

          The first reference to drawn wire is found in 8th century France.  Around 1270 A.D. Gold and silver wire was made in France and taken to England by the knights, to make chain maille, the linking of round jump rings to make a strong protective mesh. In the 1400’s, wire was produced in