Chain Maille and Jump Rings
Sterling necklace made with a variation of the Byzantine weave.
Chain maille (also spelled chain mail) is weaving chains and sheets by using rings. Traditionally, this was done using metal rings, although today’s patterns can make use of jump rings made of metal, fabric, beads and rubber or plastic. It’s a brave new world!
Before you run out and buy a bunch of jump rings, you need to be aware of their aspect ratio.
The what?
Every jump ring has an aspect ratio (also known as AR), which is calculation based on the size of the ring compared to its gauge. And the various weaves are made with rings of a certain AR. (Read on a little further and you’ll get more detailed info on this subject.)
Jump Rings and Metals
You can buy rings from all kinds of places, in all kinds of metals and in a rainbow of colors. You can get rings made with precious metals (silver, gold) or base metals (pretty much anything but silver or gold).
When learning how to do chain maille, you may want to start with an inexpensive metal such as copper, which is also relatively soft (and therefore easy to open and close). Aluminum is nice and light (and can also be andonized in several colors), but it can be stiff and tough to close in thicker gauges, until you are used to the stiffness.
With This Ring…
Here are some things you need to be aware of when going jump ring shopping, especially if you are shopping online:
- Wire Gauge: thicker gauges make thicker weaves, which is nice when you want a substantial piece of jewelry. But for some projects, like earrings, you may want a finer, lighter gauge. 18 and 20 are the most commonly-used gauges in jewelry.
- Diameter: To calculate AR you need to know the inside diameter (ID) of the jump ring. However, sometimes you only get the measurement for the outside diameter (OD). Yikes!
- Material: Are you making a casual piece of jewelry or something extra-special? When it comes to chain maille, almost anything goes. Special pieces may call for precious metals. Casual jewelry is fun in colors.
- Cut: I go into it more in the free ebook below, but how the jump ring is cut off the mandrel is important. With precious metals, you want rings that are saw-cutl other ways of cutting will have one end of the jump ring that is flush, and the other cut end will have a slight point.
Free Ebook Tutorial
And here you go — a free ebook tutorial for Chain Maille Rings. You’ll get all kinds of info on:
- What to look for when buying jump rings.
- The two main wire measuring standards and how they differ.
- AR Chart — Gauge, ID, OD and AR for common gauges and sizes of jewelry.
- Examples of chain maille weaves made with different ARs.
- Mini-tutorial for a 4-in-2 weave.
It’s 9 pages total, and yep, it’s free to you, so enjoy! 
Cool Down With Snowman Earrings!
This snowman earrings tutorial is kind of an “in between” look. It’s not holiday-only, like the Christmas tree earrings, nor is it a year ’round look like angel jewelry. But these teeny-tiny relatives of Frosty look good any time it’s winter!
Like the other two pieces of jewelry mentioned above, these are beginner-level. Intermediate an advanced beaders will undoubtedly come up with their own takes of these classic earrings.
Supplies and Directions for the Snowman Earrings
Very simple for the supplies; you’ll need the following.
- Two 10mm round beads
- Two 8mm round beads
- Two 6mm round beads
- Two 6mm marguerite beads
- Two 4mm cube beads
- Two headpins
- Pair of earring findings
- Pliers, cutters
I’ve made these with the Swarovski crystal beads in the new color called ivory. I thought it looked appropriately “snowy”, but this also looks amazing in crystal AB.
It will probably take you less than 3 minutes to make these frozen delights, which makes them great for last minute presents. So be sure to keep some extra supplies around.
You’ll also see a larger snowman that I made for a pendant, in the course of the video. He’s done in crystal AB.
Now that I’ve said all that, it’s time for the video. I hope you enjoy it!
Video Tutorial for Angel Earrings
This video tutorial for angel earrings is a fun way to have this lovely jewelry with you. Although traditionally worn around Christmas (like the Christmas tree earrings), they can really be worn year ’round.
The basic earrings for angels take maybe 3 minutes to make. They make a great last-minute gift when you need it the most! And you’ve got to love something like that.
Video Tutorial for Angel Earrings
You don’t need much in the way of supplies for these earrings, but they do include beads that you might not have on hand. All the beads I am using in the video are made by Swarovski. So if you like these earrings, I suggest getting enough supplies for several pairs, so you have extra on hand for those last-minute gifts!
Pattern #1
- Two 11x9mm teardrop beads
- Two 11mm modular beads
- Two 6mm round beads
- Two 8mm marguerite beads
- Two headpins (I used 2″)
- Two earring findings
Pattern #2
- Two 12mm artemis beads
- Two 15mm modular beads
- Two 6mm round beads
- Two 8mm marguerite beads
- Two headpins (I used 3″)
- Two earring findings
Two pair of pliers are useful. You’ll definitely need the round nose pliers, and another set is really useful when making the wrapped loops, to get them nice and tight.
The colors I used are crystal and crystal AB for pattern #1. For pattern #2 I used golden shadow and crystal AB. You are certainly welcome to use these color combos, but I also encourage you to explore other colors as well.
And remember — you can use larger beads to make some pendants!
I hope you have enjoyed this video tutorial for angel earrings. For instant gratification jewelry that can be worn all year long, they are hard to beat.
Now go out and make yourself some jewelry!
