The art of Jewelry making at its core is simply combining different components and assembling them into a finished piece. When one looks at a finished necklace, bracelet or earring, Jump Rings are usually an afterthought even though they are often the parts that hold everything together!
“If the ring fits….”
When deciding on the jump rings you will use in your jewelry project, it goes without saying that the ring needs to physically fit with your findings. The sizes of most jump rings that you see for sale on the internet are measured by outside diameter and wire gauge. The outside diameter is the width between the two outermost edges and the wire gauge is the thickness of the jump ring. If you choose jump rings that are too thick or not wide enough, they will not fit into the holes of whichever clasp, chain or other finding that you are using.
…So why not just use wide, thin jump rings for everything?
You need to take into consideration not only whether the jump ring fits, but how heavy and how big the pieces you are connecting. If for example you are connecting a heavy centerpiece to chain, a large thin open jump ring may fit but the ring will look disproportionate to the pendant and it will not be secure enough to bear the weight. You will either need to solder the jump ring closed to prevent the piece from falling off or use a jump ring that fits better.
To sum things up…
Make sure that the jump ring width and thickness will work with your other components and don’t forget to keep the weights and sizes of all your findings in mind so that you strike a good balance between having a secure connection and a clean look.
-Cyrus Nemani, Gempacked
For more info on Silver Jump Rings, Clasps, and Silver or Gold Filled Chains visit https://www.gempacked.com/
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- Jump Rings 101: Which Jump Rings Can I Leave Open? (gempackedwholesale.wordpress.com)