Characteristics and principles of choosing Italian weave

Weaving features

The “Italian” chain stands out from others in volume - it looks massive no matter how thick the wire is used for weaving. The handmade chain looks especially beautiful - it is openwork and delicate, and even looks elegant on a woman’s neck. Men often choose it instead of the heavy Bismarck.

For an “Italian” chain, round links are taken, connected in several rows. The appearance of the weaving can be described in this way: two side rows of links are intertwined with each other, and the central one is needed so that they do not diverge. In this case, the upper link is threaded through the free space of the outer rings.

Depending on the method by which the links are made, weaving is distinguished:

• Machine. Automatic production allows you to obtain a finished chain. The links compressed with the help of staples form the walls of adjacent rings.
• Stamping. Link rings are made on a special machine, which the jeweler checks manually. They are then placed under a press to solder adjacent links.
• Handmade. First, the craftsman needs to make a thin thread, which is subsequently cut into pieces equal to the circumference of the link. The ends are soldered together, you get a lot of rings. After polishing each link by hand, the craftsman weaves the chain.

The work of a jeweler is very labor-intensive, but this method allows you to get a perfectly smooth, thin and openwork chain. The difference from the machine method is that the finished product comes out of the chain knitting machine - all that remains is to measure the required length and install the lock. Handmade work requires time, special care and the skill of a master jeweler, which is why it costs more.

In “Italian” hand weaving there are no thickenings at the places where the links connect to each other - the master cannot squeeze them too much to get even edges.

Italian chain

Separately, I would like to dwell on such a chain as “Italian”; the weaving of this decoration can be made either by machine or by hand, in any case it will be as reliable as possible. Jewelry is usually expensive, but its quality and long service life are worth the money.

What is so interesting about “Italian”? Weaving is voluminous and quite universal, as it is suitable for people of any age and gender. However, an “Italian” chain will add courage and strength to the appearance of a man, its owner, and mystery and attractiveness to a woman. The chains look very impressive, making the decoration suitable for both casual and formal wear. What is interesting about this weaving? It consists of many small elements, which provide the chain with a voluminous appearance. However, despite the volume, this type of weaving gives the product airiness and originality. Lovers of the extraordinary will certainly choose from the many options an “Italian” chain.

Price and value

“Italian” is not a mass-produced product, and chains made of large handmade wire are most valued. Therefore, such weaving is more an indicator of the status of the owner than just a piece of jewelry.

This is how the knitting is done:

• thin chains and bracelets with ring widths of 0.2-0.3 mm;
• wide and flat bracelets;
• volumetric products with large links - from 0.5 mm;
• flat bracelets with large links.

Important: Thin things are always machine work; it is impossible to work with miniature links manually.

Taking into account the specifics of manufacturing, “Italian” weaving is used to make chains and bracelets from gold and silver, and less often from brass. The voluminous look recommends wearing chains without pendants, for several reasons:

• “Italian” is beautiful in itself, and the pendant will not be visible against the background of the openwork weave of the chain;
• it is difficult to choose a pendant that matches the size - it will look impressive and weigh accordingly;
• Not a single standard pendant has an eyelet large enough for a bulk chain to pass through it.

The chain looks impressive and can decorate both a business suit and an evening outfit. The correct combinations when wearing will be:

• thin chain and thin wide bracelet;
• a chain with wide links plus a thin bracelet with a small pendant.

The emphasis should be on one product, and the second should complement it. Women should not choose chains as big as a fist, even to demonstrate their status. A thin openwork chain will emphasize the social affiliation of the hostess just as well - in addition, it will demonstrate her sense of proportion and style.

To prevent it from looking massive, you can make a chain from hollow wire - the weight and price will be reduced, but the aesthetics and strength will not decrease, because “Italian” is one of the most durable weaves, its attractive appearance has already been mentioned.

A little history

Gold chains became an independent decoration in the second half of the twentieth century. In the process of weaving chains, jewelers began to use various golds: white, red, yellow. Each jeweler put his own idea and meaning into the design of the links.

Making a chain is a rather painstaking task; it consists of several stages: first, the master melts this soft metal, then pulls it into a thin thread, which is later cut and twisted. And only after doing this work, you can begin to manually fasten each link. Thus, the most unique products were created. Today, specialized machines are widely used in jewelry production. However, handmade products continue to be in great demand.

How to choose decoration

Approach the choice of jewelry consciously, considering that it is not just decoration, it is an investment. When choosing a chain, such as Italian weave, think about what you will wear it with. Take into account the significant weight of the chain - even a short and thin decoration 40 cm long, “under the neck”, will weigh more than 10 grams, and long versions will weigh from 20 or more.

A young girl with fragile shapes should not choose such weaving, or she should prefer the thinnest version of the chain to emphasize the beauty of her neck. Older ladies can purchase a chain up to the neckline.

“Italian” will look great in combination with evening dresses - without additional decorations it can enliven a simple black dress with a closed neckline or, conversely, an open one with thin straps. The difference will be in the length and volume of the product.

Thick chains should not be worn for everyday wear. In any case, they are gold. If you can’t resist the temptation, buy a thin “Italian” made of gold or silver jewelry. It also looks aesthetically pleasing, but costs several times less.

Men will go for massive chains and wide options for jewelry. Gold or silver - depends on the preferences of the owner. The fashion for thick chains has passed, but a chain can emphasize the masculinity of a representative of the stronger sex, his affiliation with social circles, financial well-being and wealth, depending on fashionable looks.

Pay attention to the lock when purchasing. Considering the large weight of the product, it is better to choose a chain with a carabiner lock. If you place an order with a master, specify this immediately.

Main criterion

One of the important characteristics when choosing jewelry is the weaving technique. Among them there are more popular and less in demand. The chain consists of a number of links connected to each other in various ways.

There are weaving patterns suitable exclusively for men or women, for young or older people, and there are universal types. Thus, for the stronger sex, chains are made with greater mass, which means they are stronger and more reliable. What types of gold chains are suitable for lovely ladies? Of course, lighter, more elegant, created from links of complex configurations.

Tips for caring for the product

Gold should always shine, and it is better to entrust the professional care of “status” jewelry to a professional, but it is not difficult to maintain the beauty of a gold item at home.

• Soak the chain in warm soapy water for a few minutes. If the contamination is strong, add a couple of drops of ammonia. Then rinse under running water and dry. Never listen to advice to clean gold with tooth powder and a brush - it will leave micro-scratches on the metal.
• Plaque from precious metals is removed by placing the chain for a couple of minutes in a soda solution (50 g of soda per liter of water), to which finely grated potatoes are added.
• Olive oil will save a silver chain from darkening - wipe the product with a soft flannel cloth soaked in it.

The chain, which was called “Italian”, will make you look at jewelry differently - now you won’t want to have something like everyone else. It will emphasize your individuality and give significance not only in the eyes of others, but also in your own. And you are guaranteed the attention of men, eyes riveted to your neckline.

Solid or hollow: what's the difference?

All chains, regardless of the type of weaving, are divided into solid and hollow.

A distinctive feature of hollow chains is the combination of volume and lightness. The wire from which the decoration is woven is hollow inside, so despite the external thickness of the links, hollow chains have little weight. Most often they are made using complex decorative types of weaving and look quite solid. The advantage of such chains is their affordable price, which is determined by the weight of the product.

Solid chains are much heavier than hollow ones, which affects the cost of the jewelry. However, they are very comfortable for everyday wear, resistant to deformation and external influences and therefore durable. If the links are damaged, a specialist can easily solder the product and restore its original appearance.

Kinds

There are three main types of weaving: anchor, shell and Bismarck. They differ in the type of elements and the nature of their location relative to each other.

Main features of different types of chain knitting:

With the anchor type of weaving, adjacent links are located perpendicular to each other. With classic anchor weaving, they are the same and have an oblong shape. However, there are a number of varieties of weaving of this type, in which the shape of the links may be different. The arrangement of adjacent links at right angles to each other, even with their small thickness, visually gives the chain volume with a relatively low weight.

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The most universal type of weaving is considered anchor. It goes well with pendant jewelry of various types; you just need to make sure that the weight of the pendant or cross matches the thickness of the chain.

Anchor

Subtypes of anchor weaving:

• “Sea chain”, if the links have a reinforcing jumper;
• Double, if the links are double;
• “Double rollo”, or “Garibaldi” (in honor of the Garibaldi spouses), if double round links are connected;

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• 1+1, if all the links in the chain have the same highly elongated shape;
• 1+2, if there is an alternation: one standard link - two elements of a highly elongated shape;

• "Aurora". It is considered a fancy subspecies of anchor weaving;
• "Hawaiian." Another fantasy weave.

"Bismarck"

This type of knitting has many varieties. Among the most famous are:

• Double Bismarck;
• Triple Bismarck;
• “Python” (or “Pharaoh”, “Italian”, “American”, “whim”). This option is perfect for both women and men;

Bismarck weave is considered suitable mainly for men's jewelry, although some of its subtypes, such as rose or glamor, are classified as “for women.” There are also varieties of the universal plan: these are “brook”, “python”, “Arab”.

Pantsirnoe

There are different subtypes of armor knitting, including:

• "Love." The links are heart-shaped;
• "Figaro" (Cartier). Elements of different shapes are connected in a certain order. The most common connection is 3+1 (three round and one oblong), but other options are also possible (1 plus 1; 2 plus 1, etc.);
• "Rhombus". Diamond-shaped elements are connected. "Rhombus" can be single, double or triple. A very elegant type of armor weaving;

• “Snail” (“paper clip”). The chain elements have a curl in the center and resemble a paper clip;
• "Singapore". The decoration twists in a spiral thanks to links that are slightly curved, so it shines and shimmers;

Materials: gold, silver, brass

As mentioned above, products are made of gold, silver and brass. The latter is used much less frequently. Gold openwork jewelry is expensive and not everyone can afford it. But the price pays off: the metal does not corrode and does not oxidize. All shades of gold are used, the standard used is 585 and lower (higher grades make the product soft and brittle).

Silver bracelets are becoming more and more common. To prevent them from darkening, gilding is applied, and the standard used is 925 and lower. An interesting option would be a chain on which a thin layer of 999 silver is applied. Outwardly, it becomes more attractive, and the strength of the product increases.

Anchor links

In these decorations, the links interlock with each other perpendicularly. Externally, the product resembles ship chains. The classic version consists of oval rings. The elongated links look attractive. Some accessories are made from round or rectangular elements.

For anchor weaving, white or yellow gold is used. They create accessories manually or using an automated method. Such a chain is not difficult to make, since the links are connected quite simply.

Weaving, reminiscent of an anchor chain, comes in several varieties:

• Rollo (Belzer). Round-shaped links combined into one product are also called “chopard”. The weaving received this name in honor of the Swiss fashion house Chopard, which produces and promotes gold jewelry with this type of chain design.
• Sea anchor. The elongated links have reinforcing bridges.
• Double anchor. The chain is characterized by double oval-shaped gold rings.
• Garibaldi. The weaving was named after the Garibaldi couple, Italian revolutionaries of the 19th century. The chain has 2 links. The decoration is suitable for both men and women.
• Venetian. Subtle elements of square or rectangular shape combine to create a simple and delicate decoration. The Venetian can be double or triple, depending on the number of links in one block.
• Cordovo. Several elements are connected at once, jumping over two or three links. The finished chains are twisted.

Such products can be combined with any gold jewelry. They look great as an independent accessory. You can add a pendant to products with anchor weaving, but on the condition that the chain itself is thin.

Advantages

The popular Italian weave has established itself as elegant but heavy. The advantages of the products are listed below:

• The jewelry is massive and therefore reliable. The links are not subject to deformation; they fit tightly to each other.
• Italian weaving looks great on both men and women. Regardless of age and position, it will give a man solidity, courage and sedateness. Not everyone can afford gold sets, so “Italian” will only adorn a wealthy person, which demonstrates his status.
• Italian jewelry is more suitable for mature women than young girls. It will highlight your financial situation and become a worthy decoration for experience and wisdom. While on a young girl’s neck it will look ridiculous and tasteless. “Italian” will stylishly complement an evening outfit, especially a floor-length dress.
• The chain is equipped with a large, convenient clasp, which will ensure the strength of the product in this unprotected place.

The happy owners of the “Italian” will be able to find many more advantages, in addition to those listed above, which only they will like.

Creation technology

The main material for jewelry is gold alloy. Gold does not oxidize, does not darken when in contact with the skin, and does not lose its properties during its use as jewelry. A gold chain serves its owner for a long time if it is not subjected to physical stress.

Gold chains emphasize the beauty of the face, neck, skin color, and look good on wrists, wide and narrow.

The production of Venice weaving chains is carried out in the so-called classic style. All links and brackets are made of the same type, no other decorations are added to them, no engraving is done.

Using traditional technology, each link is made by hand, and metal is added at bends to increase strength and wear resistance. The shape of the link and its thickness affect possible fragility if the flat links are not massive enough. The more massive the link, the more reliable the chain. Of course, the price of the product increases accordingly.

According to an alternative technology, a recess is made on the opposite edges of each ring into which the next link is inserted. This is the so-called “rib” connection, in which the links are connected to each other along the outer edge. This connection makes it possible, by changing the position of the links relative to each other, to obtain various forms of weaving, voluminous and beautiful patterns.