A jump ring is a small ring of metal wire used as a finding to connect chains, clasps, charms, pendants and other jewellery components. It is one of the most common and versatile findings in the trade and is produced in a wide range of metals, gauges and diameters to suit different applications.

Form and gauge

A jump ring is made from round, half-round, square or oval wire bent into a circle, with the ends meeting at a single seam. The seam may be left open, requiring the wearer or assembler to twist the ring open and closed for use, or it may be soldered closed for permanent use. The wire gauge, expressed in millimetres or in B&S gauge in North America, determines strength and visibility, and the inside diameter determines what the ring can connect.

Materials

Jump rings are made in every common jewellery metal. Sterling silver, 14-carat and 18-carat gold, platinum, rolled gold, gold-filled, brass, copper, niobium, titanium and stainless steel are all standard. Surface finishes range from highly polished through brushed, oxidised and plated. Hypoallergenic specifications such as nickel-free or platinum group materials are increasingly common in production findings catalogues.

Use at the bench

Open jump rings are opened by twisting the ends laterally rather than pulling them apart, which preserves the ring's roundness and the seam alignment for closing. The ring is engaged with the components to be linked, then twisted closed so that the seam ends meet flush. For permanent assemblies the seam is then soldered with a hard solder. In production work jump rings are often laser-welded rather than torch-soldered, particularly for chain assembly.

Trade significance

The jump ring is the smallest, simplest and most heavily used findings component in jewellery making. Its quality, particularly the squareness of the cut ends and the precision of the bend, has a disproportionate effect on the appearance of finished work. Poorly made jump rings with mismatched ends are one of the most common causes of weak chain failure and lost charms, and high-quality findings suppliers such as Stuller, Otto Frei, Rio Grande and Cooksons compete on jump ring tolerances as a marker of overall quality.