Chain mail jewelry is a hot new trend in jewelry-making for a lot of good reasons. One, it’s easy to do. You connect jump rings according to patterns that can be intricate but are usually not difficult to understand.

Two, it requires minimal cash outlay for equipment and supplies. All you need are jump rings, usually only in two contrasting sizes, and then two pairs of jewelry pliers. Three, it’s not especially hazardous to do. No soldering or etching with acids to be done as with more advanced metal work.

Four, chain mail jewelry looks absolutely stunning and appeals to both men and women. Its intricate design draws the eye. It can be made to look rugged and tough or lacy and delicate. Five, its history is very intriguing in that it dates back to the chainmail worn for protection by medieval warriors.

If you’re intrigued enough to want to try it, you need a comprehensive book of projects and techniques to get you going. Look no further than Chain Mail Jewelry by Terry Taylor and Dylon Whyte. I knew absolutely nothing about chain mail jewelry or wirework in general before I bought this book.

Now I’ve already completed a couple of projects and know a lot more. I find assembling the chain mail to be a soothing, methodical process a lot like some might regard knitting though it’s not quite as portable!

Chain Mail Jewelry is a beautiful full-size hardback with easy-to-follow line drawings. It includes full-color photographs of each completed piece. Many of the photographs show men and women wearing this jewelry which is always a big plus as far as I’m concerned.

Sometimes the weirdest jewelry can look good if posed abstractly on velvet but then you’re left to wonder if anyone would seriously wear it and how comfortable would they look doing so. In this book, the jewelry really compliments the models, and it’s good to see men wearing the jewelry and proving its unisex appeal.

We also get a breathtaking Gallery section with full-color photos of fanciful chain mail creations – with the chain mail gloves by Spider on page 137 being a real stand-out!

Here is what you get. Chain Mail Basics follows a short introduction. The beginning projects include the following: Titanium Duet, Hana-Gusari Anklet, Japanese Cascade Earrings with Pearls, Double Triangle Earrings, Gold and Amethyst Parure, King’s Mail Bracelet, Golden Lariat, Mobiused Rosettes Bracelet, Natasha Necklace, Inlaid Chain Mail Pendant, Spiraling Chain, and Red and Black Cuff.

The Intermediate Projects give you Byzantine Parure, Crochet Mandala Pendant and Earrings, Free-Form Flat Mail, Hana-Gusari Bracelet, Japanese 4-1 Chain Mail Bracelet, Lace Mail Cocktail Collar with Pearls, Flexible Chain Mail Watchband, and Japanese 6-1 Chain Mail Bracelet.

The Advanced Projects are the Japanese Lace Collar, Braided Bracelet, Chandelier Earrings, Coif Cage Amulets, Diamond Chain Mail Earrings, Double Strand Japanese Cube Necklace, Rain Earrings, Japanese Hexagonal Mail Collar, and the Tasseled Snake Lariat.

I’ve completed the Japanese Cascade Earrings with Pearls and the King’s Mail Bracelet (which I haven’t yet featured here). The only problem I have with the book is actually a strong point taken to an extreme: the instructions document every single step.

I tend to get a little overwhelmed with the written word to the point where I stop reading and start looking at the photos to figure it out. But whichever way you prefer to learn, either through words or photos, you’ll do just fine with this book. Highly recommended! Chain Mail Jewelry is available through Amazon.com: Chain Mail Jewelry: Contemporary Designs from Classic Techniques