How to Make Brass Jewelry Rings

Prized for its shine and flexibility, brass has been used for ornamentation and in jewelry making since the ancient Greeks first learned to smelt copper. Brass jewelry rings, also called jump rings, are easy to make once you find a jump ring mandrel and a few tools. Indulge your creativity by making necklaces and bracelets using your own handmade recycled glass beads, linked by these hand-twisted brass jump rings.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Jump ring making apparatus
• 16-gauge brass wire
• Right-hand side cutters
• Coarse, medium and fine file
• Needle-nose pliers
• Strung beads
• Jewelry finding clasps

1. 

   Choose a mandrel the correct diameter for the rings you need. Slide the mandrel through the matching holes at each end of the jump ring apparatus.

2. Tuck the end of your 16-gauge wire into the groove in your mandrel. Turn the mandrel handle and begin winding the brass wire around until you have what looks like a long brass spring.

3. 

   Use side cutters to cut along the top edge of the mandrel, through each ring. Use a coarse, medium and fine file to remove any burrs at each end of each brass ring.

4. 

   Close the first ring tight using a pair of needle-nose pliers. Use a fisherman's bend knot to attach your bead string to the first brass jewelry ring. Attach a second ring at the other end of the string, using another fisherman's bend knot.

5. Attach your chosen jewelry finding clasp to each end of the necklace. Pinch it firmly closed using your pliers.

Tips & Warnings

• To make a bracelet, use a shorter string of beads.

References

• Beading Daily: Make Your Own Jump Rings
• Cutting Jump Rings After Winding