When working with jump rings, you want to keep the roundness of the ring. To do this, follow these steps when opening and closing jump rings.

Tools Needed

You will need 2 chain nose pliers, which can be regular or bent nose pliers.

	1. Grasp the ring between two pliers, centering the split between the jaws of the pliers.
	2. Holding the ring facing you, gently twist one plier away from you while pulling the other toward you.

Closing a Jump Ring

To close a ring, reverse the motion you did to open the ring:

1. Grasp the ends of the rings with two pliers.

2. Gently twist the ends closed.

Troubleshooting and Tips

• Listen for a slight click when the ring closes. This indicates the edges are touching, which will minimize the seam.

• If you do not hear the click, and the ends aren't close:
  1. Gently open the ring slightly.

  2. Close the ring above while applying gentle inward pressure to one of the pliers.

     This will cause the one end to bend closer to the other. When they close, you'll hear a slight click.

This image illustrates a correctly opened ring. Note the how the ends have been twisted open instead of pried apart. Using this technique will preserve the roundness of your jump rings.