Jump Rings or Split Rings?

Attaching the Charms

• After you have purchased some charms, they will need to be attached to the bracelet.  There are a few options here.  One is to buy jump rings & attach them yourself.  This method is nice because it offers flexibility in the placement of charms as you purchase them.  The charms can be taken off & reattached easily.  This is a risky method however, because the charms will not be secure and are can fall off your bracelet when you aren't suspecting it, to be lost forever, which is very bad.
• Another option is split rings.  These are little spiral rings that look like a keychain.  The charm and bracelet are linked into the ring by moving them around the split in the ring.  Just like attaching a key to a fob.  These are a bit more secure than the first method & also offer flexibility.  My problem with split rings is that no matter how careful I am, I can never attach the charm without stretching the ring.  Once the ring is out of shape, it doesn't look as good and charms are more likely to slip between the wires and come loose.  There is a tool that is designed to be used with split rings that minimizes stretching, but I haven't practiced with it enough to get the hang of it.
• Recently I've purchased some jump rings that have a tiny little hook that snaps together & forms a fairly tight bond when attached correctly.  They are called Magic Jump Rings.  These seem to be quite a bit more secure than the basic jump rings or split rings.  I haven't used them long enough to form a definite opinion but the concept sounds promising.
• My favorite choice is permanent solder attachment by a jeweler.  It's a good idea to have a few charms to start with & space them out the way they look best on the chain before committing to soldering.  Once they are soldered on the only way to change the placement is to cut the rings & start over.  That can get costly.  Expect to pay around $5-$7 for each charm when you supply the rings, more if the jeweler provides them.  And of course make sure you use a reputable jeweler that is experienced in soldering.

Summary

Article Name

Jump Rings or Split Rings?

Description

Attaching charms to a bracelet, should I use jump rings, split rings, or soldering?

Author

Fitzcharming

Tags: Creating Bracelets, Snapeez Jump Rings, Split Rings

Category: Creating Bracelets