“He’d fly through ’the air with the greatest of ease, a daring young man on the flying trapeze” -George Leybourne, 1867

Don't you just love the swoon and whoosh you feel when watching a daring acrobat swing through the air, performing all sorts of heart-pounding stunts? This pendant is an ode to the circus and a reminder to have a little fun in your functional jewelry. The bead can spin and flip while it’s worn so you can imagine your own trapeze acts.

Techniques:
Simple loop
Coiling

Materials needed:
4" (10.2 cm) of sterling silver 16-gauge dead soft wire
4" (10.2 cm) of sterling silver 18-gauge dead soft wire
12" (30.5 cm) of red 20-gauge colored copper wire
1  9mm anodized aluminum jump ring
1 25x21mm hollow lampworked round with a 10x5mm bead inside
2 sterling silver 5mm smart beads

Tools:
Flush cutters
Round-nose pliers3/32” (2 mm) steel mandrel
Chain-nose pliers
Chasing hammer
Bench block
Polishing cloth

Finished size: 2" (5.1 cm) (pendant)

Instructions:
1) Flush cut 3" (7.6 cm) of 18-gauge wire. Form a 3mm simple loop at one end. Use the wire to string the hollow bead, catching the inner bead before you exit the second hole. Flush cut the wire to 3/8" (9mm) above the bead. Form another simple loop to secure the beads. Set the beaded link aside.

2) Use 12" (30.5 cm) of 20-gauge wire and the mandrel to form a coil. Slide the coil off the mandrel and trim to 1" (2.5 cm). Set aside.

3) Cut 4" (10.2 cm) of 16-gauge wire. Use round-nose pliers to form a U shape with the wire. Use the chasing hammer and bench block to flatten the point of the bend until flat.

4) String 1 smart bead, the coil, and 1 smart bead onto one side of the U-shaped wire. Insert the wire ends into the simple loops of the beaded link.

5) Form a 4mm loop at each end of the V-shaped wire. Make the loops just wide enough that the beaded link’s simple loops can't slip off.

6) Attach the jump ring to the bend of the U, creating a bail.

7) Finish with a little polishing;  and it's ready to hang from your favorite chain.