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The seven-lead rings are, by their nature, much wider and heavier than the five-lead rings. The wire has to pass under three paths on each pass, so they are considerably more difficult to tie. At this time, the only other person I am aware of who can produce seven lead rings is Grey Chisholm, of Fair WInds Design. Our results are different, because we approach the work differently.
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I was asked to make this one by a gentleman who was in need of a unique gift. All of my rings are unique in various ways, but this ring was deliberately made from scratch, all the way from the melted gold, and the color mix of the Champagne solid strand is unlike any other I've produced. Size is about 7 1/2, 4.1 loops/inch.
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This one was finished in April, 2004. Made with Peach, white, and green 18K gold, all twisted. Size is 9 3/4, loop density is 3.7, a 7-lead by 9-bight, made very tight. (More detail on this one.)
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Completed in early July, 2003... this ring was so difficult that I ended up making it twice, destroying the first attempt and starting over.
18K Yellow and White
7-lead 9-bight, tripled, all twisted
Loop density: 4.4
(Size 6)
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Here's a seven-lead thirteen-bight ring. This is a very dense knot, and I was forced to tie it in pure silver and replace it with the gold in order to succeed in making it. Don't even think about asking me to double this one...
18K Yellow Gold
Single Solid Strand
7-lead 13-bight
Loop density: 5.0
(Size 11)
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![[7X13, 24K gold]](7x13.jpg)
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Here's a pretty piece, for a lady with long slender fingers.
18K Champagne and White
7-lead 8-bight, tripled
Loop density: 4.1
(Size 5)
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This was one of the first pieces I made, and I learned a great deal while making it. It's a seven-lead eight-bight knot, made with about a half-ounce of 18K yellow gold. There will never be another ring quite like it, due to the unusual circumstances surrounding its construction, and the improvements derived from that experience.
18K Yellow Gold
Tripled Solid Strand
7-lead 8-bight
Loop density: 2.9
(Size 13)
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![[7X8, 24K gold]](7x8.jpg)
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This is an interesting ring, white 18K gold, in a seven-lead eleven-bight pattern. I drew the wire down to about sixteen thousandths of an inch (0.016) and laid it into a three-strand twist, which made the usually tough white gold much easier to handle.
18K White Gold
Single Twisted Strand
7-lead 11-bight
Loop density: 4.3
(Size 11 shown)
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The above ring was actually a transitional piece; this was its destiny . . . As I was adding the strand of yellow gold to it, it was very tight, toward the end, and passing the yellow wire through the last few loops was an ordeal. Next time I'll tie the solid strand into the knot first and add the twisted strand afterwards!
18K Yellow and White Gold
Single Twisted Strand, Doubled Solid Strand
7-lead 11-bight
Loop density: 4.3
(Size 11 shown)
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10-02-07 -- An interesting story about this ring -- I just got an email from someone claiming to have had it, and lost it, and wanting me to make a duplicate of it. I checked with my niece's husband, and he's still wearing it... go figure.
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This is a seven-lead eleven-bight ring, yellow 18K gold. The particular alloy used in this case is a polyglot of leftover scrap from my workbench, interestingly enough. I wish I knew what the specific mix was, since it turned out to be easy to work when annealed, but springy in the end. It would be a pity to melt it down just to get a chemical analysis, though . . .
18K Yellow Gold
Single Solid Strand
7-lead 11-bight
Loop density: 4.5
(Size 10 shown)
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