Chapter 12

How to Make a Celtic Bead Pendant

Start with a straight .14 gauge wire.

A Celtic Bead Pendant is easy to make and fun to wear, and it will get compliments and lots of attention. Here's the simple way to go about it:

Start with a 6 inch length of .14 gauge wire.

Find the flush-cut end. If neither end is flush-cut, cut one of them, taking off as little metal as possible, but doing a good job of it.

Okay, now bend the flush-cut end into a nice, large generous loop, to make the bail through which the cord or chain will be passed in order to suspend the pendant.

Slip the bead onto the bottom of the wire after the top bail loop has been made.

Now all that remains is to somehow keep the bead on the pendant, right?

Nothing could be simpler, but it isn't obvious, which is why it took about 30,000 years before someone caught on to the gimmick, sometime around 4,500 B.C. -- until then, zip.

So here's the secret:

The flattened part keeps the bead on the pendant quite easily.

The most important part about making the trapped-bead type of pendant is that you need to be really careful not to shatter the bead with the hammer. If you get careless or too heavy or impatient with the 2 ounce hammer, you might end up with ancient bead parts all over the floor. Be careful, be attentive, take your time.