Anyone making bracelets, rosaries or charm pieces quickly discovers that the components joining things together matter more than the decorative parts. They are collectively called findings, and a few basics cover most work.
The Ones You Will Actually Use
Jump rings, which are small circles of wire used to connect one thing to another. Eye pins and head pins, which thread through beads and are turned into loops. Clasps, which open and close a piece. And split rings, which are like miniature keyrings and hold considerably better than jump rings.
Almost every hand-made piece is assembled from those four.
What to Check on Components
- Hole size on charms and medals, which must accept your ring or wire
- Wire gauge, since a thin jump ring will open under weight
- Whether a clasp is easy to operate one-handed
- Whether the metal matches, since plated finishes vary
- Whether components are made for daily skin contact
Charms with a standard jump-ring hole, of the kind at wentiya.com, pair with common wire and chain, which saves the frustration of a medal whose hole is too small for the ring you own.
Opening a Jump Ring Properly
The single most useful technique and the one most beginners get wrong.
Grip each side with pliers and twist sideways, one half toward you and one away, so the ring opens laterally. Close it the same way, bringing the ends past each other slightly and back together until they meet with a small click.
Pulling the ends apart deforms the ring permanently, and a deformed ring never closes cleanly, which is where pieces fail.
Where Pieces Fail
Almost always at a join rather than in the middle of anything. A jump ring that was not fully closed, a loop turned too loosely, or a clasp too light for the weight it carries.
For anything that will be worn constantly, a split ring or a soldered ring at the main stress point is considerably more secure than a plain jump ring.
Tools
Round-nose pliers for forming loops, flat or chain-nose pliers for gripping and closing, and side cutters for trimming. Two pairs of pliers is the practical minimum, since jump rings need one in each hand.
Inexpensive tools are fine to start with. The one worth spending on is a decent pair of cutters, since blunt ones leave a rough end that catches.
Metal Matching
Mixing plated finishes is the most common visual error. Silver-tone from two suppliers can differ noticeably, and the mismatch is obvious once assembled.
Buying findings and charms with the same finish description, ideally at the same time, avoids most of it.
Working Safely
Wire ends are sharp and fly when cut. Cutting inside a cupped hand or into a tray contains the offcut, and eye protection is sensible for anything involving heavier wire.
All of these components are small enough to be a choking hazard, so keep the work area away from young children.