How to Make a Byzantine Chain

Creating a Byzantine Chain is one of the easiest jewelry chains to make. You can either work from a kit or buy the pieces separately. Whatever way you choose, once you've mastered how to make Byzantine Chains you can make bracelets and necklaces for yourself and all of your friends.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Jump rings
• Awl
• Round nose pliers

1. Measure your wrist or the wrist of whomever you're making the chain for with a string. Then take the string and put it against a ruler to determine how long your bracelet should be.

2. Make a double ring chain that is three links long by taking two jump rings and connecting them to two other jump rings and then connecting those jump rings to a third set.

3. Hold the first pair of rings, and then fold down the top pair of rings over either side of the middle pair. Push apart the rings you folded down, and then push the middle rings together.

4. Push a new ring through the newly created hole, and then add another ring to this new ring. Repeat this step to finish one segment of your chain. Keep weaving new segments until you've made your desired length.

5. Add a clasp to one end of your bracelet to finish your project.

Tips & Warnings

• Jump rings are small metal rings that are used to join metal lines and to attach necklace fastenings. You can either purchase them or easily learn how to make them yourself. You're going to need a lot of jump rings for this project.
• Use the round nose pliers to open and close your jump rings.

Resources

• Read this article at All About Jewelry Making.
• Buy jump rings and jump ring makers from Otto Frei.
• Buy Byzantine Chain kits from Bead Man.