Modifying a Pre-made Jewelry Chain to Work with Pendant Findings
Our first proposed modification is to use Bent Closing Pliers to squeeze the end loop in your pre-made chain to change the shape of the loop from round to oblong or oval. As shown at right, these pliers have grooves cut in the jaws of the pliers to enable them to easily grip the loop without slipping. If you don't have bent closing pliers you can use chain nose pliers, but you will need to be very careful doing this with chain nose pliers because it will be easy for the wire loop to slip. Once you have re-shaped the end loop, you will find that it will be easy to thread the end loop through the loop in a pendant finding as shown below.
The above approach is the easiest and preferred
approach. Where, for whatever reason, this approach won't work for
you, here are several alternatives that all involve removing the end
loop by cutting it off. After you have removed the end loop you
will find that it is easy to thread the chain through the loop in the
pendant. Once the chain is in place, you will need to replace the
end loop. Shown below are several ways to replace the end loop. Our first alternative is to use a jewelry making finding
called a split
ring to replace the end loop. In the picture shown at right, a
piece of wire has been used to hole the split ring open so that you can
thread the end loop of the chain onto the split ring. This same
approach can be accomplished using
In step 1, you make a 90 degree bend in your wire using your bent chain nose pliers. In step 2 you make a loop in the wire using your round nose pliers. In step 3 you thread the loop onto the end link in your chain (after the chain has been threaded through the pendant finding.) In step 4 you grasp and hold the loop in your wire with bent chain nose pliers while you wrap the wire around itself two times. In step 5 you cut the excess wire and then squeeze the cut end of the wire flat. In order to squeeze the cut end flat you will need to hold the loop with your bent chain nose pliers while you use your chain nose pliers to squeeze and twist the cut end of the wire. In steps 6, 7, 8 and 9 you make a second wrapped loop, cut the excess wire and squeeze the cut end of the wire flat. We have discussed four approaches for modifying a pre-made, commercial jewelry chain to fit into a pendant finding with a small loop. Please choose the approach that matches your skill level, your available tools, and your jewelry making supplies. |
The
pendant findings for our bling jewelry were not designed to work with
pre-made chain. Unfortunately, the loops in most pendant findings
are small and were designed to work with chain that was made specifically
to hold that pendant, with the clasp added after the chain was threaded
through the loop in the finding. The problem in most cases is that
the loop in the pre-made chain that the clasp connects to is too large to
fit through the loops in the pendant finding. On this page we will
discuss several techniques for modifying a pre-made chain to accommodate
pendant findings with smaller loops.
Our
second alternative is to add an
Our
final alternative uses jewelry wire to make a catch on the end of your
chain. This catch would appear as shown at left. Making this
catch is a relatively simple process of making two wrapped loops on the
end of your chain, after the chain has been threaded through the loops
in the pendant finding. 22 gauge wire is recommended for making
this catch. You will need about 4-5 inches of wire.
