This webring is open to artisans and craftspeople who make jewellery using precious metal, gold-filled, copper or artistic wire. Its purpose is to promote wire art jewellery and the talented, professional, enthusiastic (obsessive?) people who create it.  We focus on artisans creating high quality wire art jewellery with original and unique designs.

The standards are high, because we feel that the focus should be on promoting excellence within the craft.  Therefore, there are the criteria for being accepted:

1) Your work must be original, focus on wire and must be handcrafted by you personally, without pre-manufactured settings and must show an evident high level of skill and fine craftsmanship.  Sites containing jewellery with liberal use of pre-manufactured chains, "snap sets", store-bought earwires etc. or which do not demonstrate originality will be rejected.  Your work should demonstrate that you have moved beyond working off of  previously published patterns. 

2) Works created with both soldered and solderless techniques are welcome. Commercially-oriented sites which include craft or manufactured items other than wire art jewellery or wire sculpture will be rejected.  If your focus is not on wire, i.e. your work is primarly beading with a bit of wire, your site will be rejected.

3) Each artisan must have a complete and an easy-to-navigate website, with high quality images, a catalogue or portfolio of their work, and a resume or artist statement. Sites which contain sections under construction or with unclear images will be rejected.  Professional presentation is appreciated and speaks volumes about how much you care about your craft:  hobby sites will be rejected.

4)  The webring banner MUST appear on the home page of your website.  This is to help visitors navigate the webring easily and helps your ranking with search engines.  Sites which bury the code on a links page or on a webrings page will be rejected, no exceptions.  Whenever someone clicks on a link, a "vote" for the linked page is registered, which impacts how your site is ranked.  Registering votes for your home page is more important than your links page, especially if your site uses frames.

The criteria are strictly enforced. 

Why?  There are a couple of reasons. 

First and foremost, we want to promote excellence - in design, in craftsmanship and in presentation.  We take wire art seriously.  So should you.

Secondly, we are not interested in the webring becoming a "link farm".  Many search engines actually penalise sites that are part of huge indescriminant link lists.  Staying focused and small benefits all members in the ring.

Therefore... the ringmistress reserves the right to refuse inclusion in the webring, or to remove anyone who is not focused on wire art jewellery, or whose site does not conform to the criteria for inclusion. 

Membership is free, so if you feel your work and your site are a match for this webring, please click on "Join the ring" for further instructions.






Want to join the ring?
Would you like to join the Wire Artist Webring?