Jump rings are an essential part of jewelry making. Although they are inconspicuous, they can create endless possibilities for your jewelry creation. They can be cleverly assembled into various parts. If you are new to jewelry making and don't know about jump ring, then you have come to the right place. In this article, we will take you to take a deep look at how this small ring becomes a part of exquisite jewelry.
What is a Jump Ring?
A jump ring is a small, usually round metal ring . It usually has a cutout, which is why it's called an open jump ring. This allows the jump ring to be open or closed. You can use it to connect components such as clasps, charms, chains, and pendants.
Jump rings also come in various different types. For example, in terms of shape, round and oval jump rings are the mainstream, but there are also square and rectangular jump rings to meet specific design needs.
There are many materials for jump rings, such as common stainless steel jump rings, titanium alloy jump rings, sterling silver jump rings and gold jump rings, etc. These different materials can be used for different design styles and different grades of jewelry.
What is a Jump Ring For?
Practical uses for jump rings?Jewelry jump rings are widely used.
One of the most common uses for jump rings is to attach a clasp (such as a lobster clasp or spring ring) to a necklace or bracelet. Without the jump ring, these pieces would not work together.
Jump rings can also be used to add decorative elements such as charms, pendants or drops to earrings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets.
In chain mail jewelry, hundreds or thousands of jump rings may be linked together to create intricate patterns or weaves. These techniques rely entirely on the uniform size and shape of the chain mail jump rings.
Some crafters often use jump rings to create custom length chains or extenders, and then combine jump rings with beads, wire wrap chains, or other accessories to create creative chain designs.
Are also essential in jewelry repair , especially when repairing broken chains, reattaching loose parts, or replacing clasps. A must-have item in almost any jeweler's repair tool kit.
How to Make a Jump Ring?
Now that you have a basic understanding of what jump rings are and what they are used for, are you ready to make your own? Although high-quality pre-made jump rings are readily available, learning how to make them is a very useful skill, especially when you need to use something last-minute and don't have the right jump rings.
You can make jump rings by following these steps:
Prepare a wire of the diameter you need and a suitable mandrel
Wrap the wire around the mandrel so that the wire forms a loop
If you need more than one jump ring, continue wrapping the wire around the mandrel, taking care to ensure that each loop is tightly connected to the previous loop. This is key to ensuring that the jump rings are uniform in size.
Continue winding until you have the number of jump rings you need and remove them from the mandrel.
Now you can use a jeweller's saw to cut the rings neatly into individual rings. These will become your jump rings.
Next, you can use a file or sandpaper to smooth the ends of these jump rings to make them easier to weld.
If welding is not required, grinding and finishing is sufficient.
If you want to make jump rings faster and more conveniently, you can also buy a jump ring tool. Jump ring maker has mandrels of different sizes that can help you quickly and accurately make a large number of jump rings of the size you need. How to use the jump ring tool? Just like in the video.
How to solder jump rings?
If you need closed jump rings, then soldering the jump rings is essential. Follow our steps and you will quickly learn how to solder them.
Make sure your jump ring cuts are smooth and aligned, if there is any play you can adjust slightly to ensure the two ends are in tight contact when soldering.
Apply solder flux to the jump ring opening
Next, use a soldering tool to heat the open part of the jump ring , being careful not to overheat it.
When the metal starts to turn red and is ready to melt, fill the jump ring opening with a small amount of solder until the solder is completely melted and fills the jump ring opening.
After cooling, place it in the pickling solution for cleaning
Finally, use sandpaper or polishing tools to grind the welded parts to remove excess solder and impurities .
Note: Different metals require different temperatures for soldering. Silver and gold require lower temperatures, while stainless steel requires higher temperatures. Be sure to choose the appropriate soldering temperature based on the material.
Jump ring sizes
There are many different sizes of jump rings, and they usually have two measurements. For your convenience, we have compiled some common jump ring sizes and made a conversion table. If you don't know how to choose a jump ring, please refer to our jump ring size table:
| Outer Diameter (mm) | Outer Diameter (in) | Wire Gauge (AWG) | Wire Thickness (mm) | Recommended Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 mm | 0.118 in | 22 AWG | 0.64 mm | Delicate charms, earrings, tags |
| 4 mm | 0.157 in | 21 AWG | 0.72 mm | Small pendants, fine chains |
| 5 mm | 0.197 in | 20 AWG | 0.81 mm | General jewelry use, clasps |
| 6 mm | 0.236 in | 19 AWG | 0.91 mm | Necklaces, multi-strand connectors |
| 7 mm | 0.276 in | 18 AWG | 1.02 mm | Heavier pendants, earrings |
| 8 mm | 0.315 in | 18 AWG | 1.02 mm | Charms, medium-weight components |
| 9 mm | 0.354 in | 16 AWG | 1.29 mm | Heavy-duty pendants, bag chains |
| 10 mm | 0.394 in | 16 AWG | 1.29 mm | Multi-chain necklaces, statement pieces |
Diameter: Can be specified as inside or outside diameter, usually in millimeters or inches.
Thickness: Usually measured in millimeters, inches or gauge.
Jump Ring FAQs
How to close a jump ring?
You will need two pairs of needle nose pliers, grab the ends of the opening with the pliers, hold it with one hand, and use the pliers with the other hand to twist it open. Or you can use a jump ring opener, stick the jump ring in it, and twist it open with the pliers.
How to open a jump ring?
Repeat the twisting motion in the opposite direction as you did to close the jump ring, and for a really secure fit, twist the ring slightly past the closed position and then back again, allowing the natural elasticity of the metal to align the ends into a snug, closed position.
What size jump ring should I use for a necklace?
A jump ring is a single loop with an opening you twist to use. A split ring is like a tiny keyring with two coilsāmore secure, but harder to use. Use split rings when strength and security are critical.
Jump ring vs split ring, what is the difference?
A jump ring is a single loop with an opening you twist to use. A split ring is like a tiny keyring with two coilsāmore secure, but harder to use. Use split rings when strength and security are critical.
How do I keep a jump ring from opening accidentally?
Technically yes, but they may lose shape or strength after repeated opening and closing. For best results, use a new ring, especially in professional or gift-quality jewelry.
Are jump rings reusable?
Technically yes, but they may lose shape or strength after repeated opening and closing. For best results, use a new ring, especially in professional or gift-quality jewelry.
