Every time you add jump rings to your jewelry, your mind unconsciously reverts to all the discussions you have recently read about open and closed-ended solder jump rings.
While a few fellows have considered it normal to have open solder rings, many of them will be found propagating the benefits of soldering your jump rings in jewelry.
But doesn’t all that discussion leads to a lot more confusion? What should you actually do? In this article, we’ll address this question from a different approach, so you do not remain stuck on this question if you need to solder jump rings in your jewelry.
What Are Jump Rings? Why Do You Need Them?
As a beginner in jewelry making, you might not have a clear-cut idea about jump rings. So, let’s start with what they are.
Jump rings are little connecting components essential in jewelry making. Forming connections between different parts of a jewelry item gets easier with these jump rings. We have them in two styles, open jump rings and closed jump rings.
Use of Open And Closed Jump Rings:
Jewelry designers mostly use open jump rings to easily connect different jewelry parts, for example, joining the necklace chain to the closure clasps.
When closing a jump ring, jewelry designers use a pair of pliers to twist the jump ring and make the opening shut closed tightly. However, this opening can become larger with time - when extra force is applied to the jewelry or the ring twists accidentally.
Many jewelry designers might have the question: should I just solder the jump ring?
Wondering Why Are Jump Rings Left Unsoldered?
You may notice many jewelry makers leave the jump ring open or unsoldered. Why? Let’s discuss the reasons:
Protection of Other Expensive Jewelry Items:
Jump rings are probably the cheapest component you use on your jewelry. When extensive extra force is applied to the jewelry, for example, your necklace got caught on something while you were moving. The open jump ring is likely the first component to deform.
Because of this, it prevents other more expensive components from being damaged. If jump rings are soldered, they cannot absorb the extra force and may cause the chain links to deform or damage the delicate clasps.
Whenever you feel your jewelry is caught on something or got stuck. Make sure you check on your jump rings and fix any damage.
Protection of the Individual Wearing Jewelry:
If the jump rings are soldered, the entire piece of jewelry is wrapped closely around the neck or wrist. Under certain circumstances, this could be a hazard to the user when a jewelry piece gets caught and is not easily breakable.
For many jewelry designers, the user's safety is more important than the artwork they create. That’s why you see many jump rings are not soldered.
Saving Additional Cost:
There is an extra cost to solder the jump rings. You’ll have to invest more time and require specialized equipment to solder the jump ring. If the designer believes it’s unnecessary to solder them, they will skip this extra step/cost. Many handmade jewelry designers are not fully equipped with soldering equipment, so they often leave the process.
Is It Possible To Lose Some Valuable Jewelry Parts Because Of Unsoldered Jump Rings?
Yes, it could happen. The valuable pendant may get lost when the jump ring from the necklace is broken. Or the entire necklace could be gone without you noticing it. That’s a decision a jewelry designer needs to make.
As a common practice, we observe most silver jewelry has unsoldered jump rings. However, solid gold jewelry has soldered jump rings, especially those with thin chains.
The logic is that silver jewelry is relatively cheaper than solid gold. It may not be worth the extra effort to solder. Designers will normally pick the strongest jump rings they can use. So they won’t open easily. It may give the best balance between the safety of the jewelry & wearer and the cost.
On the other hand, solid gold jewelry with precious gemstones and diamonds may be a different story. Designers are more likely to choose to solder the jump ring.
Are There Some Specific Cases Where You Should Solder The Jump Ring?
Yeah, to help you with your decision, we can highlight a few situations where soldering the jump ring will be a better idea. However, it is not an ultimate rule. We will still encourage you to use your judgment for better decision-making.
If your jewelry design requires you to connect to thin thread, beading wire, or cord, it is essential to keep the jump rings closed. You can let them remain open when not in such a situation.
It will eventually come down to a personal choice to decide to solder the jump rings on your jewelry. The occasion, your target market, and the type of jewelry item you create will impact your decision.
We have tried to cover the essential dimensions around soldering the jump ring in jewelry making, so you must surely focus on them for final decision-making.