Wire Temper and Jump Rings

by Judy Larson

Years ago, there was a turning point, one of many, in my jewelry making journey - I fell in love with chainmaille. After making a set of Byzantine chains, which use a LOT of jump rings, I realized just how many jump rings I had been using in all my projects. What really hit home, though, was how much I spent on them over the years. At that point, I knew I had to start making my own.

Instructions

The majority of my jump rings are made using a metric set of mandrels, separately labeled and stored in baseball card sleeves in a three-ring binder, easily accessible on a shelf close to my work surface.

Judy Larson's Wire Temper and Jump Rings - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, , chain maille

Judy Larson's Wire Temper and Jump Rings - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, , storing jump rings

Absolutely! Using a drill to coil wire not only gives more consistent tension and size in your jump rings but also helps save your hands from strain, which becomes more important over time.

A heavier leather glove is a smart idea it protects your hand and helps maintain a good grip on the wire without squeezing too hard. Plus, it adds a bit of safety in case the wire slips or snaps.

Do you have a favorite mandrel size you stick with for your jump rings, or do you switch it up depending on the project?

Judy Larson's Wire Temper and Jump Rings - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, , coiling wire for jump rings

That's a great observation and totally spot on! The temper of the wire definitely impacts how tightly it coils and the final jump ring size. Softer wires conform more closely to the mandrel, making tighter coils and smaller rings, while harder wires resist bending and tend to spring back a bit, resulting in looser coils and slightly larger rings.

It's a subtle difference, but it can really matter when you're aiming for consistent sizing, especially in chain maille or other weaves where uniformity is key.

Do you adjust your mandrel choice or wire gauge depending on the wire temper to compensate for this? Or maybe tweak the tension while coiling?

DS-Dead Soft HH-Half Hard FH-Full Hard

Fine silver

DS Sterling Silver

DS Copper

DS Gold-filled

DS Brass

DS Argentium

HH Copper

Niobium

HH Argentium

FH Gold-filled

FH Argentium

There are some gauges and tempers of wire I always keep on hand. My wire stash includes 24 gauge and finer wire as well as 16 gauge and heavier wire only in dead-soft temper. In my work, I find that I use all tempers available in 22, 20, and 18 gauge wire.

What are the different tempers used for:

You've nailed the nuances of wire temper and its impact on both jump rings and final jewelry fit!

Full-hard wire: Perfect for jump rings that won't be soldered because it holds shape well, but as you said, 18 gauge and finer rings can still be pulled open, so doubling jump rings for strength is a smart move. Also ideal for ear wires since they need to keep their shape through wear.

Half-hard wire: A great balance more flexible than full-hard but still holds shape better than dead-soft. Perfect for jump rings that might see some manipulation and as a sturdy core for wire wrapping/weaving.

Dead-soft wire: So easy to manipulate and perfect for tight coiling around mandrels to get exact ring sizes. Plus, its malleability lets you fix kinks without breaking wire. But because it's so soft, jump rings can spring back smaller, so size and temper matter a lot when precision fit is needed like your bracelet example!

Your experience with trying different ring sizes and tempers to get the perfect bracelet length is a perfect example of how those little details can make or break a design. It's always a balancing act between wire temper, ring size, and the intended use.

Do you have a favorite temper or gauge for jump rings in specific projects? Or maybe some go-to tricks for testing ring fit before assembly?

Judy Larson's Wire Temper and Jump Rings - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, , bracelet

Absolutely that's such a smart way to double-check your measurements!

Measuring the outside diameter (OD) instead of the inside diameter (ID) is a great practical workaround since OD is often easier and more consistent to measure, especially with small rings. And as you pointed out, even tiny variations in jump ring size can add up and make the difference between a bracelet that fits perfectly and one that's too loose or tight.

Seeing your comparison between the dead-soft and half-hard jump rings side by side really highlights how material properties translate to real-world differences in jewelry fit. It's those small details that really elevate the craftsmanship.

Would love to see a photo of your measurement setup or the rings if you have one! And do you keep a little "reference sample set" of jump rings handy for testing fits like this?

Pro Tip: Store jump rings made with different tempers and types of wire separately.

Judy Larson's Wire Temper and Jump Rings - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, , jump rings

Judy Larson's Wire Temper and Jump Rings - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, , jump ring storage

Materials

Wire - Wide variety of Gauges, Metals and Hardness

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Tools

The Quad Jump Ring Former

DUR-1312

DUR-1312
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $388.00
Gold Club Price: $291.00

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Hand drill

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

12 Inch Stainless Steel Ruler

G7-30

G7-30
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $2.97
Gold Club Price: $2.23

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Mister Twister Hand Coiler, 8 Piece Set, Long Mandrels

Jewelrytools - Product ID WIR-120.05

Jewelrytools - Product ID WIR-120.05
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

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Category: Findings
Technique(s): General Education

Reviews

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Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!

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