Weaving "fox tail", its types and characteristics

The beauty of jewelry directly depends on the skill of the master and the refinement of the patterns chosen for decoration. Because of this, author works that contain much more individuality due to the use of original techniques and ornaments are rapidly gaining popularity.

However, this applies only to items such as rings and earrings. In the choice of chains and bracelets, people tend to prefer a decoration made in a more traditional style. This is due to the fact that such categories of products fall in favor not only to the fair sex, but also to men who are more inclined to wear low-key, but quality things. Thus, one of the most sought-after types of jewelry works is the weaving "fox tail", used to create large chains and bracelets.

History of appearance

The beginning of the manufacture of products made with the use of a similar method of joining the "link in the link" falls on the bronze age. The first samples of the chains were found during excavations of the royal graves in the city of Ur in the territory of the present Middle East.

However, it is impossible to reliably determine where the weaving of the "fox tail" comes from. Many attribute its appearance to the merits of Byzantine jewelers, which is fundamentally wrong, but it is understandable: in the 7th century this technology was refined by Greek and Roman masters. They have created methods for connecting several series of links into one strip. As a result, weaving "fox tail" has become widespread in European countries and Russia.

Today, craftsmen resort to using it to obtain copies of antique jewelry, creating independent products, and as an additional element in the author's work.

Peculiarities of weaving

"The fox tail" is often called Byzantine, but this is not entirely true. In fact, these species are somewhat different. Byzantine weaving is a kind of "bismarck", and in its basis lies the combination of elements of different sizes, directed randomly, into one link, because of which the decorations have a rather massive appearance. In the "fox tail", all the rings are laid in one direction, which makes it more elegant.

However, today very few people know about this difference, as a result, even the masters themselves sometimes combine both these varieties into one, referring to the weaving of the "fox tail" by Byzantine.

Kinds

Thanks to the processing of the links, the craftsmen achieve various effects, adding an originality product when creating jewelry in the "fox tail" technique. Weaving the chain or bracelet has several possible types, differing in the shape of the elements:

• The collected "fox tail" consists of spirals twisted in different directions. Each link is made up of six thin rings, connected by wire manually, which makes it possible to create a unique pattern. The cost of such a product will be extremely high.

• The circle is a variety renowned for its strength. Due to the uniform distribution of internal ligaments, the rounded spiral of the links can not be broken.

• Semicircular weaving has a smaller radius of bending of the element.

• The last view has a square section and consists of rings, wires and links, which makes it ideal for creating massive chains and bracelets.

In this case, such a chain (braiding "fox tail" in any of the above modifications) has a good density, allowing you to put on it additional suspensions. Their number is unlimited, but they must have a smaller mass than the total weight of the product.

Advantages of weaving

The main advantage of this technique of creating jewelry is the variability of the materials used. Weaving "fox tail" (gold, silver or brass - it does not matter at all) always looks profitable and exquisite. Let's notice, that chains and bracelets from precious alloys use the greatest popularity, that influences on and without that the high cost inherent in things of manual work.

Also this kind of weaving possesses high strength and reliability in operation, because a complex system of connecting links does not allow you to tear the product with your bare hands, and the universal appearance allows you to wear jewelry daily, without removing.