For today’s project, I picked up something I had started long ago and left sitting on my bench.
This particular chain has several names, but my favorite is the Columbus chain. In this story, someone figured out how to make it from a painting of Christopher Columbus where he was wearing one. True? Who knows? But I applaud the ingenuity that would be required to do that, because it is not as simple as it looks.
In the past I have made this sterling silver chain with larger links & heavier wire – it’s really lovely that way. But I thought it would be interesting to make a more delicate version, and that’s what this is.
It also requires soldering each link, so I’m getting the opportunity to brush up on pick soldering. Literally, I take a tiny piece of solder and use a tool called a solder pick to put it on the join for the link, then hit it with the torch to solder it closed.
As you might expect, it took me a few times to start getting back to my old level of skill with this technique. Practice makes better.
Sterling Columbus chain in progress