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Photo Tutorial European 4-1 Drops Necklace & Earrings

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

European 4-1 Drops Necklace & Earrings

Make this drop necklace and a pair of matching earrings by decreasing European 4-1 in shades of the same colour. Made using small rings, this necklace has a light delicate feel to it.



1613177509585.png


Materials

For a 44cm (17.5 inches) necklace, you will need:
  • 171 small silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3mm, WD 0.81mm
  • 163 small ice blue anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3mm, WD 0.81mm
  • 122 small royal blue anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3mm, WD 0.81mm
  • 21 large silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 6.7mm, WD 1.2mm
  • 4 clasp rings - silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3.8mm, WD 1.00mm
  • silver plated small wrapped Tierracast toggle, 9x12mm
  • spare eyepin, paperclip or scrap wire
For a pair of earrings (2.5cm drop), you will need:
  • 50 small silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3mm, WD 0.81mm
  • 18 small ice blue anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3mm, WD 0.81mm
  • 12 small royal blue anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3mm, WD 0.81mm
  • 2 large silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 6.7mm, WD 1.2mm
  • pair of silver plated earwires
Tools:
  • two pairs of smooth jawed chain nose, flat nose, or bent nose pliers

Instructions

  1. To make a chain maille drop: Link one large silver ring through seven closed small silver rings (starting from the left, picture 1).

    The rings in steps 1-2 are numbered from left to right.

    Open six small silver rings. Starting from the left hand side, link one ring through rings 1 and 2 (picture 2).

    Link the second ring through rings 2 and 3, making sure not to link to the silver ring just added. The second ring lays on top of the previously added ring (picture 3).

    Link the remaining four rings in the same way (pictures 4 and 5).
    1613177555776.png


  2. You may find the rings from step 1 do not stay in position and may need relayering during step 2. Do this by rotating them through the centre of the large ring. The rings added in this step will stay in place once you have completed step 2.

    Open five small ice blue rings. Starting from the right hand side, link one ring through rings 5 and 6 of the row added in step 2 (starting from the left, picture 1).

    Link the second ring through rings 4 and 5, making sure that the ring lays on top of the previously added ring (picture 2).

    Continue linking the remaining three rings in the same way (pictures 3 and 4).
    1613177569279.png


  3. Open four small ice blue rings. Starting from the left hand side, link one ring through rings 1 and 2 of the row added in step 2. Link the second ring through rings 2 and 3, making sure that the ring lays on top of the previously added ring. Continue linking the remaining two rings in the same way (picture 1).

    Open three small royal blue rings. Starting from the right hand side, link one ring through rings 3 and 4 of the previous row. Link the second ring through rings 2 and 3, making sure that the ring lays on top of the previously added ring. Link the third ring through rings 1 and 2 in the same way (picture 2).
    1613177601771.png


  4. Open two small royal blue rings. Starting from the left hand side, link one ring through rings 1 and 2 of the row added in the previous row. Link the second ring through rings 2 and 3 (picture 1).

    Open one small royal blue ring and link through the last two rings (picture 2).
    1613177613621.png


    Repeat steps 1-4 to make seven drops in total.

  5. You will now make the small components, which are used to join the drops and make the chain at each end of the necklace.

    Link three closed small silver rings and your eyepin with one small silver ring. The eyepin will help you work this fiddly component. Ensure the orientation of your three rings lay in the same direction as picture 1.

    Open three small ice blue rings. Starting from the left hand side, link one ring through rings 1 and 2 of the previous row. Link the second ring through rings 2 and 3, making sure that the ring lays on top of the previously added ring. Link the third ring through ring 3 only (picture 2).

    Open three small royal blue rings. Starting from the right hand side, link one ring through ring 3 only of the previous row. Link the second ring through rings 2 and 3, making sure that the ring lays on top of the previously added ring. Link the third ring through rings 1 and 2, again making sure that the ring lays on top of the previously added ring (picture 3).

    Link one small royal blue ring through the last three rings added (picture 4).
    1613177640446.png


  6. Using one small ice blue ring, link the end small ice blue ring of the component to the large ring of one of the drops made in steps 1-4.

    Using one small ice blue ring, link the other end small ice blue ring of the component to the large ring of another drop. Remove the eyepin.
    1613177654396.png


  7. Repeat steps 5-6 making components to join the drops until you have made a chain with one drop at each end, as in the picture below.
    1613177667777.png


  8. At each end of the drop chain, repeat step 5-6 making further components and joining to closed large silver rings. At each end of our necklace, there are seven further components joined to seven closed large rings, ending with a closed ring.
    1613177680035.png


  9. At one end of the chain, link the toggle ring to the large ring using one clasp ring, id 3.8mm, 1.00mm.

    At the other end of the chain, link three clasp rings in a chain to join the toggle bar.
    1613177722590.png


  10. For earrings: repeat steps 1-4 twice and attach each drop to an earwire.
    1613177709502.png

Variations

  • There are lots of anodised colours you can use to create this effect with silver or gold: rose pink and ice pink, lime green and green, lavender and purple.
  • Looking for a neutral look? Try silver with black ice and black.
  • Gold, red and orange are glowing colours or add a fourth colour such as brown.
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©2021 Sarah Austin. All rights reserved.
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