Behind the Bench: A New Chain Design In The Works

I spotted a chain design in a high-end gallery a while back that completely caught my eye. Since it was in high karat gold it was far above my price range. It was sleek, sculptural, and had this elegant weight to it that just felt... intentional. And of course, I immediately thought, “Okay, how do I make that happen in my studio and make it affordable?”

What you’re seeing here is my very first prototype inspired by that moment. It's not perfect. You’ll see a few plier marks, and the wire I used for this round is lighter than what I plan to use in the final version. I wanted to test the form and function before moving on to the heavy stuff—because once you're working with thick gauge wire, there's no going back. Here's a comparison of the current and final links.

Despite the imperfections (which honestly feel like part of the process), I love where this is going. The overall design is strong, fluid, and has that handmade feel I’m always chasing. The links are soldered at the center, creating open ends that give it a more organic, free-flowing movement—just what I envisioned.

The one thing that did come out perfect was my clasp. The one I saw in gild was a standard lobster claw, but whenever possible I like to create my own.

This piece isn’t for sale—it’s just a first pass. But I’m already planning a second version using heavier gauge wire, and I’ve got ideas for refining the shapes, smoothing out the joins, and really dialing in the look. Stay tuned… I think this one’s going places.