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Technique Chainmail is an extremely versatile art form. With it I am able to spin lace out of silver and gold. I make all of my jewelry by hand, one ring at a time. In order to acheive the different effects and gradations of size, I currently use 19 different kinds of wire. After winding that wire into long springs of different diameters I use an extremely fine saw to cut that spring into many tiny rings. With combinations of ring diameter and wire gauge, I currently have over 50 different rings in my pallette. Different Weaves The most common chainmail weave is the european 4-in-1 (top left). This is the pattern that was used for suits of armor in days of old and it is what most people think of as "chainmail." It is an extremely versatile veave, able to be sculpted around curves or trimmed into triangles and other shapes. A close relative is the european 6-in-1 (bottom left). It is a denser version of the 4-in-1, with more rings and fewer spaces. Very sleek and fine. The japanese weave has a very distinctive angular look. The tight hexagonal fit of the rings allows for interesting and unusual shapes that keep their form very well. Silver/gold combinations work nicely with this weave as do combinations with brilliantly colored niobium rings (the purple and green). And finally, we have the rope patterns. These weaves make long thin chains that work very nicely as bracelets and necklaces. Delicate versions can also be used for earrings. Unlike the flat weaves above, ropes can only be woven long and thin. But there are so many different ropes to choose from that it more than makes up for their limitations.