How To Wire Wrap A Gemstone Donut

Gemstone donuts are versatile components that can be used in a variety of jewellery designs!

This page gives step by step instructions on how to wire wrap a donut, which is a great technique to learn to enable many design options. You can use it as a bangle top, linked together to make a bracelet, as part of some earrings or attached to lengths of chain to make a necklace.

You Could Use Your Wire Wrapped Donut To Make...

A Wire Wrapped Donut Bangle

We've attached a wire wrapped donut to one of our popular sterling silver bangle wires for a simple design

Gemstone Donut & Charm Earrings

In another design, we've used the same technique to create matching wire wrapped earrings and also incorporated beautiful charms.

Jewellery Making Supplies Needed

Gemstone Donut

These gemstones are donut shaped, with a hole in the middle which makes them really easy to hang from threads or to wire wrap.

In this tutorial, we've used a 20mm gemstone donut but you can get creative by using your favourite gemstone and size!

METAL WIRE

Choose from our selection of metal wire to complete your project! Including plated, sterling silver, 9ct gold, copper, brass and more.

For this tutorial, we used 0.5mm sterling silver round wire - remember that the thinner the wire, the easier it is to manipulate.

JEWELLERY MAKING PLIERS

This tutorial requires a few pliers to complete the look including round nose pliers, snipe nose pliers and side cutters.

All of these are available to purchase individually or in our popular pack of pliers.

Follow The Step By Step Tutorial On How To Wire Wrap A Donut...

Step 1

Take a 30cm length of wire and put the wire through the hole of the donut. Wrap this around the donut 5 times. You want to have roughly equal lengths left over both sides. To end up with this, start with one side of the wire double the length of the other and use the longer side to wrap around the donut.

Step 2

Use your snipe nose pliers to pinch the ends of the wire together so they are flush with each other.

Step 3

Take your round nose pliers and about 5mm up from the top of the donut, bend to an angle and then create a loop around the pliers.

Step 4

Hold the loop with the round nose pliers, then tightly wrap the wire around itself downwards towards the donut, once at the bottom wrap it back up towards the loop to create a thicker bail. This will use almost all of the wire.

Step 5

Use your metal shears or side cutters to cut the wire off as close to the bail as possible.

Step 6

Use the snipe nose pliers to squeeze the loose wire ends into the wrapped wire bail. You want it so that when you run your finger along it you won't be able to feel anything sharp.

Step 7

Your Donut is now a pendant and ready to hang from either a necklace, bracelet or earrings! To make your donut pendant into a connector, repeat the same process on the opposite side of your donut.

Finished!

Your wire wrapped donut is now complete and ready to incorporate into your jewellery designs.

Watch More Ways To Make Gemstone Donut Jewellery Below

The products used in this project are suggestions to inspire you. Products used were compatible at the time of making but do be aware that stocks can vary, so do use your own judgement as to the compatibility of each item when making.

HAVE A QUESTION?

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our friendly team who will be more than happy to give you advice over email or on the phone.

You can learn more and find inspiration by visiting our Jewellery Making Tutorials, Jewellery Making Kits and YouTube Channel. Don't forget to follow us on social media and tag us in your designs on Instagram & Facebook, we would love to see!