How to Open & Close Jump Rings
Jump rings are little rings which have been cut so that they can be opened and closed. They are a staple item for a jewelry maker. In fact, beautiful jewelry can be made completely of jump rings! Many jump rings are round and smooth, but they come in other shapes (e.g., oval, square) and may be made from square or twisted metal. It's important to open and close them correctly, otherwise the ring may weaken or break or you will have a gap in the ring, which will make your jewelry less secure.
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Skill Level
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Easy!
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Time Required
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Mere Seconds
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| Materials | Comments |
| Pliers | Chain Nose or Flat Nose |
| Jump Rings | Any Shape or Size |
All you need are jump rings and at least one pair of pliers. I use flat nose or chain nose pliers, which are flat on the inside to help me get a good grip on the ring. It's important that the pliers are smooth inside. If the inside is ridged or roughened, you will risk marring the surface of the ring.
For opening/closing a small number of rings, I use a pair of pliers to hold the ring and push it open or closed with my finger. The ring is opened or closed by twisting it apart,
not by pulling it open or pushing it closed. I hold the pliers with my non-dominant hand and perform the twisting action with my dominant (writing) hand, but do whatever is most comfortable for you. If I am doing a lot of rings or if the rings are very small, I hold the ring with one pair of pliers and use a second pair to open and close it. Open a ring only as wide as you need. You close a ring the same way as you opened it - by sliding the two sides next to each other. Actually, I slide the rings a tiny bit past where they are even and let the natural spring of the metal perfectly align the sides. You should be able to feel the ends slide against each other and may feel/hear a 'click' when they are aligned. It's an easy technique, but it's important to do it right to avoid fatiguing your metal. Sometimes you will need to seal the ring. If so, you may wish to read instructions for
soldering them closed.
