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Blog posts of '2015' 'April'

TIPS and TRICKS for NEWBIES – small (jump) rings, big worries?

The jump ring exists in two versions: a cut through or sawed one and a soldered one, or in other words an open and a closed ring.

Open jump rings serve to make connections and will therefore bundle loose parts in a flexible way, going from charms or pendants to rings and clasps.

Choosing the right jump ring:

A. Material:

As you want to bend the jump ring, you, as a newbie, will choose them in soft to medium hard materials such as aluminum, copper or silver. Remember that steel is very hard and you will need a good pair of pliers …

In terms of quality and for professional use, it is recommended to choose chainmail (chain mail/chain maille) jump rings. An artisan will also solder the open silver jump ring, linking the clasp to a precious handmade jewel. But as for now, we are not there yet.

open jump rings

B. The jump ring size:

The jump ring may be an elegant accent of your design or something that you rather like to conceal inconspicuous. In the latter case and for instance, when attaching a toggle clasp, you measure the size of the eyelet of the clasp and then choose a similar size for your jump ring. With a medium-sized lobster clasp, you will usually need a 5 mm jump ring.

However, you should not only take account of the outer diameter of the jump ring, but also of the inside diameter ... the thicker the wire, the smaller the inner area.

C. Determining the inside diameter:

And the gauge or the wire size, you will ask yourself ...

We make it simple: to link components you usually choose between these two sizes which you need to have in stock:

  • 20 gauges: for earrings and lightweight elements
  • 18 gauges: for clasps and pendants

Remember: The smaller the gauge number, the thicker the wire!

SEE - Part 2

TIPS and TRICKS for NEWBIES – small (jump) rings, big worries ... the technique

Technique - attaching a jump ring in 4 easy steps

See animation – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7bo5ZDDosY&rel=0

Creating jump rings manually

In case of need or if you work with colored wire it is useful to make your own rings.

Supplies:

  • a cylindrical rod (dowel or mandrel) in a size that is slightly smaller than the one you wish to obtain, you could also use large wooden nails or pins
  • a flush cutter
  • soft to half-hard wire, such as soft copper wire of Artistic Wire

Instructions:

  • cut off about 15 to 20 cm wire
  • push a piece of wire with your thumb firmly against the rod
  • wrap the copper wire with your dominant hand tightly around the rod till about 2 cm from the end
  • pull out the rod and gently pull the wire a little bit apart so you can easily continue working
  • with the straight edge of the cutter and starting at the bottom, cut the rings
  • disregard the first and the last jump ring
  • the cut wire will slightly spring back: the harder the wire, the more springback and as a consequence the bigger the jump rings will be.

Enjoy your creation ... and buy your findings @ https://dunebeads.com/en/metal-jewelry-findings !

Do not forget: have fun because practice makes perfect. See you soon!