For example, if you are adding charms to a bracelet and want these to be easily removed later on, you will need the jump rings to be easily opened. One of the most important steps in learning how to use jump rings is learning how to solder them. Follow our step-by-step instructions for soldering jump rings below:. Top Tip: When soldering jump rings, use a little amount of solder — it should only take a small amount to secure the joint.
New to soldering jump rings, or any precious metal item? Read our step-by-step guide to soldering a silver ring — a great project for practising and perfecting your soldering technique before moving onto more intricate projects, such as soldering jump rings. Now you know how to use jump rings, are you ready to start making your own?
Top Tip: Want to learn how to make jump rings faster? Working with extra thick wire? Use a mandrel attachment on your drill to wind the wire faster, ready for cutting and filing. Using jump rings for your next project and wondering whether to make your own?
Or is it easier to use pre-made ones? Many jewellers do a combination of both. We will cover the basic measurement unit, styles, and some terminologies of open jump rings in this post. Gauge Jump rings are made from wires, like sterling silver wires.
Wires are measured by gauge to show how strong the wire is. Please see the table below for gauge to millimeter conversion. The rule of thumb is the smaller the gauge number, the stronger the jump ring wire. For jump rings, the most common gauge is from 18 to 22 gauge. If you just want to have jump rings that you can close with a pair of pliers and stay secure, choose a size from 18 gauge to 21 gauge.
Measure the hole or opening on the parts that your jump ring needs to go through, make sure the opening is big enough for the jump ring you chose. ID stands for Inner Dimension. They are the ways we measure the diameter of the jump ring. See the illustration below. The most common size is OD 4mm and 5mm for connecting chain links, attach a charm , etc.
Machine Cut, Saw Cut, and Pinch Cut You may have seen these terminologies used on jump rings before and you may be wondering what exactly do they mean? The jump ring is the connector of choice in a variety of jewelry making applications.
Some of the things jump rings are used for include:. Jump rings solve all of these problems and more. For something that is so important, you may not be giving choosing the right size jump ring enough thought.
After all, if the connection at the jump ring is weak, it's very likely the jewelry might break or be lost forever. There are two facets to the size of a jump ring that matter:. As the size of the jump ring gets bigger diameter increases , the thickness of the wire should increase for it to hold more weight. For example, a 4 mm, diameter jump ring, made out of 20 gauge wire is a lightweight jump ring. To attach clasps on necklaces or clasps on bracelets, 6mm 18 gauge jump rings are a good choice.
For lightweight earrings, 3. Interestingly, not all vendors measure jump rings the same way. Some vendors measure jump rings by the outer diameter OD and others by the inner diameter ID.
Try to make sure you know which measurement is being used and be consistent buying jump rings in that size. The sizes in this article refer to the outer diameter size of the jump ring. Do you mean that jump rings are not all round? Jump rings aren't all round.
There are plenty of other shapes of jump rings, but the two most important when using jump rings as connectors are round and oval.
Oval jump rings are important when you want to make sure a cord or chain-link can't slip through the jump ring opening. By putting the opening on the side of the oval, the cord is not in contact with the gap, thus making it less likely to slip through the opening.
For that reason, oval jump rings are always great to have on hand. Not all jump rings are created equal. In general, the highest quality jump rings are those made for creating a type of jewelry called chain mail.
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