Photo Tutorial Dragonscale Pinecone Pendant

Author's Note
Our projects were very popular during the lifetime of our business and we wanted to ensure they continued to provide inspiration for chain maillers whatever their experience. It's a pleasure to see they will live on with Chainmaillers.com
-Sarah Austin

Dragonscale Pinecone Pendant​

Work dragonscale in the round to create a pendant that you can leave as it is or embellish in the centre with a bead or a chain tassle.

A working knowledge of dragonscale is helpful in understanding how you position the rings when working in the round. The rings used for the pendant make a looser dragonscale, which makes it easier to learn how to do as the rings will drop into place instead of needing more specific placing.

Materials​

For a 2.5cm (1") long and 2cm (3/4") diameter pendant, you will need:

• 27 gold anodised aluminium jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 24 red anodised aluminium jump rings, ID 7.8mm, WD 1.2mm

Tools:

• two pairs of smooth jawed chain nose, flat nose, or bent nose pliers

Instructions​

1. Link four closed red rings with one gold ring. Link two more closed red rings to one end with one gold ring. Repeat so that you now have a chain as shown in the picture.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Using one gold ring, link the ends of the chain made in step 1 with one gold ring. Make sure the red rings lay flat and the rings sit as shown.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Weave one red ring between one pair of rings so that you encircle one gold ring (left hand picture).
   
   Repeat three more times so that each gold ring is encircled with one red ring (right hand picture).
   
   
   
   
4. Weave one gold ring through two red rings added in step 3 and on the inside of the previously added round of gold rings (left hand picture).
   
   Repeat with three more gold rings (left hand picture).
   
   Note: As the weave is loose with this ring combination, the gold rings will move. When adding the second row of gold rings, make sure they stay on the inside and don't move to the outside.
   
   
   
   
   
5. The next ring added is shown in blue for clarity. Weave one red ring through two adjacent gold rings added in the previous step (left hand picture).
   
   Repeat until you have added four rings in total (right hand picture).
   
   
   
   
6. Referring to the left hand and centre picture, weave one gold ring through the top two layers of red rings, keeping the new gold ring on the inside of all the gold rings previously added.
   
   Repeat until you have added four rings in total, ensuring all gold rings added in this step remain on the inside of previously added gold rings (right hand picture).
   
   
   
   
   
7. The next ring added is shown in blue for clarity. Weave one red ring through two adjacent gold rings added in the previous step (left hand picture).
   
   Repeat until you have added four rings in total (right hand picture).
   
   
   
   
8. Repeat step 6, adding gold rings through the top two layers of red rings, keeping the new gold ring on the inside of all the gold rings previously added.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Repeat steps 5 and 6 two more times and then finish with step 5 (adding red rings). You will have three columns of gold rings and four columns of red rings all the way around.
   
   
10. Turn the pine cone over - you will now add the bail rings to the top of the pine cone.
    
    Using one gold ring, link two opposite red rings (picture 1).
    
    Using one gold ring, link the other two opposing red rings, weaving through the centre of the previously added gold ring (pictures 2 and 3).
    
    Using one gold ring, weave through the two gold rings previously added. This is the ring from which you will hang the pine cone. For added strength, you can add a second ring.
    
    

Variations​

• Try black large rings with gold or silver for a neutral look.
• Colours that look good together: Pastel colours with champagne or brown large rings or bright colours with silver or gold large rings.
• Christmas idea: make several pine cones and hang from chain to make your own garland/tinsel for the tree.

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©2021 Sarah Austin. All rights reserved.