Step One

Straighten and cut 3 lengths of 1.0mm wire long enough to wrap around the cabochon you are working with plus plenty of extra to make the bail (our cabochon is quite large and our wire lengths were approx 50cms long).

Step Two

Holding the 3 lengths of wire firmly together and side by side and using the 0.4mm bind the 3 wires together with a few wraps pressing each wrap with the flat nose pliers as you go. Trim the ends of the wrapping wire on the same side so they will sit hidden against the cabochon.

Step Three

Place the cabochon on the flat of the table and holding the wrapped area of the wires against the bottom of the cabochon push the middle two wires around the edge of the cabochon, bring them up to the top and leaving a gap of approx ½cm use the flat nose pliers and bend them upwards (these make up 2 of 4 wires that will be used to make the bail).

Step Four

Criss cross the two wires at the front over the cabochon.

Step Five

Working now on the back of the cabochon bring the two wires at the back and criss cross them over as we did on the front, where the wires meet use the flat nose pliers bend both wires upwards (these will be the other 2 of 4 wires used to make the bail).

Step Six

Hold all the wires at the top of the cabochon with your thumb on the front criss cross wires and your fore finger holding the back two wires, take each front wire and wrap around the base of the 4 wires we will use to form the bail to secure.

Step Seven

With the flat nose pliers bend all 4 bail wires forward a little.

Step Eight

Using the widest part of the bail nose pliers place behind the bail wires and create the bail by pushing all four wires over the pliers and back down the back of the cabochon.

Step Nine

Secure the bail by wrapping a couple of times with the wires used previously, trim of the excess wire and tuck in the ends so that no sharp edges are poking out.

Step Ten

Trim the wires on the back of the cabochon as in the picture.

Step Eleven

With round nose pliers loop each end of the wires to neaten.

Step Twelve

You can hang the pendant from a popcorn chain, chain or leather cord to complete the necklace.