Help! How to Add a Wire Bail to Turn Perfume Bottle into a Pendant?

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Help! How to Add a Wire Bail to Turn Perfume Bottle into a Pendant?

by Linda Knight
(Knightsparkle Jewelry)

Engraved perfume bottle with cap screwed on

I would really appreciate some help with a project one of my clients has asked me to do. She has a 1-1/2" sterling silver perfume bottle that she wants made into a pendant.

I would rather not solder or drill holes in the pendant, but I'm not sure how to fasten a bail because the front of the bottle has her name engraved on it.

Can anyone tell me how to create a wire bail without obscuring the front of the bottle? Any advice would be heavenly.

The applicator is threaded and screws into the bottle. The top is pretty straight so I haven't had much luck just wrapping the top.

The client said it was okay to do whatever I wanted, but I hesitate to solder or change anything too much. I'm afraid that sometimes "whatever" doesn't really mean whatever, especially with a special memory like this bottle.

Linda Knight
Knightsparkle Jewelry
Knightsparkle Jewelry blog

Comments for
Help! How to Add a Wire Bail to Turn Perfume Bottle into a Pendant?

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help!
by: Violette Noble

Hi Dear!
WOW isn't that pretty?!?!?

I am no expert when it comes to the "right way" to do things but I can usually figure out a way to get something done if I put my mind to it SO all that to say this might not be the correct "jewelers way" but it's what I would try.

I would drill two tiny holes (just large enough for a wire to go thru) on each side of the little bottle evenly spaced from the middle AND at the very middle of the bottle. (not in the back and not in the front but right at the top....hope that makes sense.)

Then I would make a wire loop with a 6" or so piece of silver wire, similar to something you would make to start wire wrapping an earring and see if I could thread it thru the top AND out from the hole leaving the loop to catch at the hole. I'd probably place a tiny dot of E6000 at the top just to make sure it stayed secure and then WHEN IT WAS DRY I would go ahead and make a loop, wire wrapping the rest of the wire and clipping at usual. Repeat this on the other side and then you have two loops to thread a chain thru AND I think it would look great to have the perfume bottle handing from two chains instead of one.

Hope that helps....hope all the jewelers out there will forgive my primitive suggestiong!

love Violette

Thank you Violet.
by: Knightsparkle

I just may have to drill holes, but its mighty scarry!

drilling
by: Anonymous

i would use a vice if your going to drill. Safety first ;)

Don't drill
by: Lynda

Does your client want to be able to refill this bottle? If so, I wouldn't recommend holes. I would think that a simple wire wrap with a few prongs in strategic areas (ones that don't have a design) would be better, but I don't know how well that would balance the piece.

Wire Bail on perfume bottle
by: Cheryl

I would actually wire wrap it, making a decorative wire wrap around the sides, so as not to hide the front of the bottle, and bring it up to make a bail to attach it to the necklace. There are plenty of books and directions on how to wire wrap a cabuchon and that would work on your bottle.

Prong Setting?
by: Paige

Can you make your own prong setting for the bottle? That way if she ever wants to change it back to just a perfume bottle and not wear it as a necklace, she can just have the setting removed and the bottle remains intact.

Help!How to add a wire bail to turn Perfume bottle into a Pendant?
by: Arline

I would definitely ask the owner of the bottle if she wants any holes in the bottle before you decide to do anything. I would wire wrap the bottle and make prongs with the wire at 4 points, the curves at the "shoulders and feet" of the bottle. And use wire to tie the wires together. Ask the owner if she likes gold, copper, or silver to add to the wire ensemble. You don't want to have to redo anything.

Perfume Bottle into a Pendant?
by: Anonymous

My first impression of the pendant conversion has me curious and I was wondering if you could get any ideas from studying a "molly screw" (anchor bolt) and see if there could be a modified solution found there.

Perfume Bottle
by: Christa

You need to ask the client if she still wants to fill the bottle with perfume. If not you can make a wire-wrapped cage. You can have a look at my website: http://www.clwireart.com/Bermuda_Handcrafted_Jewelry/Bermuda_Sand.html
I have pendants made with bottles filled with pink sand. That should give you an idea.
Any more questions, let me know

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