Jump rings are C-shaped wires that come in multiple sizes and can be closed to form an “O” by pressing the ends together. Jump rings are used primarily as a means of attaching different parts of a piece of jewelry. For instance, jump rings are often used to attach clasps or other findings to the body of a piece. Jump rings can also be joined together to form a simple chain. You can buy jump rings cheaply at any art- or beading-supply store, though once you get the hang of it, you’ll discover that making them is easy and even less expensive.
How to Make Jump Rings
You can make as many jump rings as you want using one long coil of wire. Producing many jump rings at a time from one piece of wire is faster than making them just one at a time, and it also ensures that all your jump rings will be uniform in size.
- Wrap a length ofwire into an evenly spaced coil around a dowel or another round object.
- Slide the coil offthe dowel. Use wire cutters to cut individual rings from the coil by snipping each round once.
- Using a file,smooth and flatten the cut ends of the wire so that they fit together.
- Using two pairs of round-nose pliers, push together the filed ends of wire and close the ring.
How to Use Jump Rings
To attach a jump ring to wire pieces or findings, you’ll have to open and then close the ring. Always open jump rings by twisting their ends sideways using pliers. Never open the ring by pulling back in order to widen the mouth of the “C”—it will weaken the ring.
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