The Mathematics Behind Jewelry-Making: Making Math More Fun

Math isn't always fun, but it is all around us every day, from the amount of money in your pocket to the sizes of your clothes to the number of calories in your lunch. Math doesn't have to be just a boring school subject: Actually, there are lots of uses for math that are fun. One of these is jewelry-making. Making your own jewelry might be something that you'd do anyway just to make things to wear or to give your friends or family, but you might not think about that fact that making jewelry requires math. Almost every step you take in the process of creating a necklace, bracelet, or ring makes you practice some type of math, so making jewelry can be a fun way to work on your math skills.

Explore and Create Patterns

Patterns are found in math, and they're also often found in jewelry. You might create a simple pattern using different colored beads, or you might make a complex pattern that includes different bead sizes and shapes. You'll also see patterns in metal jewelry, whether it's a piece of wire twisted into a geometric pattern or a gold necklace made with a repeating pattern of chain links.

Learn About Symmetry

Symmetry is another math concept that's often used in jewelry-making. For example, you could string beads in a repeating pattern, like red-orange-yellow-red-orange-yellow, but you could also make them symmetrical: red-orange-yellow-yellow-orange-red. You'll often find symmetry in necklaces, which might have a pendant in the middle and then symmetrical beads on either side. When creating a symmetrical design, it's important to make sure that heavier elements, like large beads or stones, are evenly spaced so that the finished piece hangs evenly from the wearer's neck or wrist.

Master Precision in Measurement

One of the most obvious connections between jewelry and math is that jewelry-making requires you to think about measurements. You'll need to measure your string or wire to make sure that it's the right length to fit the wearer's wrist, neck, or finger, remembering to leave room for the width of any beads or stones that you're going to add. You also have to think about the width of the string or wire itself and the sizes of the holes in your beads or stones. And you'll need to consider the sizes of the beads or stones and how they'll look on the wearer: Something with really big, chunky stones might look weird on a small wrist or be really heavy to wear, while a single string of tiny beads might be hard to notice when someone's wearing it. Jewelers use a variety of tools to help them get their measurements exactly right, including rulers, gauges, and calipers.

Manage Your Money

Math also comes into play when you think about the money that you might spend or make while making jewelry. At a minimum, you'll need to budget your money so that you can afford to buy the materials you want to use. And once you're done making a piece, you could sell it, which will require you to think about how much it cost you to make and how much profit is reasonable to make. Then, you might work out a plan to sell a certain number of necklaces or bracelets in order to save up money for a financial goal, like buying a new video game console or paying for a trip with your friends.

More Math and Jewelry Fun

• How to Keep Math Issues From Stopping Your Jewelry Business
• How Are Calipers Used in Jewelry-Making?
• Tips for Determining the Right Bead Size for Jewelry
• Understanding Bead Sizes and Bead Size Holes
• Using Math to Make a Necklace
• Roll and Bead: Make Jewelry With Math
• Three Ways to Measure Your Bracelet Size
• Math and Jewelry: A Perfect Union
• 2 mm Silver Ball Bracelet
• Doing the Math: Art About the Economics of Gold
• The Geometric Perspective in Jewelry Design
• 3D-Printed Jewelry Showcases the Beauty of Mathematics
• Gold Stack Bracelets
• Estimating How Many Beads You Need
• Why Math Matters in Jewelry Design