Hidden Bail, Step-By-Step Tutorial
A bail in a piece of jewelry is the component which the chain or cord will pass through. This is how you are able to actually wear a pendant and thus why the bail is such an important component of creation. When I began creating pendants the bail was usually an afterthought, when it should’ve been one of the first things considered.
Let’s look at the key components of a bail, and then follow step by step on the creation of a hidden bail.
A good bail should:
Have a large enough opening for the chain or cord to pass through (6mm minimum)
Be balanced (The weight distribution in a piece can impact how it hangs. If you’re bail isn’t placed properly the piece can hang crooked.)
Be structurally sound (You want thicker, sturdy wire. Very thin wire could be prone to bending, warping, or snapping. Since this is what allows you to wear a pendant it should be as sturdy as possible.)
There are a variety of bail styles that you can create, but the above points ring true for all of them. A bail can be incorporated as part of the design in a pendant. You can create a dangle bail which is common in more mainstream styles of jewelry. Or you can create a hidden bail.
In this case I will take you through the steps of creating a hidden bail, this will be incorporated within the frame design.
I suggest checking out the tutorial we posted on creating a frame, as it will allow you to start this bail making tutorial at the same step as me.
This is the ending point of the frame tutorial. You can follow that, or create your own frame to follow along with the creation of the bail.
In order to follow along, your frame should have an additional inch of wire extending from the top of the frame like it does in the image pictured.
To start we will use 18 gauge half round wire to tie the two strands of wire together. Five to seven times around the two wires is enough.
Use any thicker gauge wire you have. It can be round, square, or half round.
If you can, just try to keep it at 18 gauge or thicker. This will ensure a sturdy feel that won’t bend, warp, or wear away from friction.
Bend the two tied off wires so that they are perpendicular to the frame.
Bend the exposed frame wire down so they run parallel to the frame.
Grab one piece of frame wire, (we’ll start with the left) and tie it off on the first crossbar of your frame.
Make sure to leave about a minimum of a 6mm opening between the top of the bail and where you tie-off.
Clamp down tight on the wire to ensure it won’t move at all.
Repeat the previous step with the remaining exposed frame wire.
Congratulations, you now have a completed bail and you can begin to wire wrap the pendant.
Keep in mind that you need to allow the chain to pass through the bail once the piece is completed. While wrapping the rest of the pendant, make sure not to block or cover that opening.
