![ear gauge chart actual size ear gauge chart actual size](http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/n-pktq5q/fa4u2s4x/product_images/uploaded_images/size-chart.png)
That is the reason many high-end jewelry designers choose saw cut jump rings. Note the size of the jewelry as the caliper displays it in millimeters. Position the jewelry between the two arms of the caliper and move the bottom arm up until both arms are touching the jewelry. Measure the thickness of the earring or plug with a caliper. One issue with machine or pinch cut is that they may catch fine hairs or fine threads from clothes if not closed perfectly. Find the thickest earring or plug that you can wear comfortably out of your jewelry. They will also be cheaper than the saw cut jump rings. Jump rings with machine or pinch cut will be easier to close than the saw cut. Pinch cut is just the cut from a cutter plier, it will be rougher than the machine cut. The machine cut will show a little bit rough edge at the cut opening. Saw cut will show a perfect clean cutting edge since its cut by a circular saw. The way it’s been cut will directly impact how clean the cut is. Jump rings are made from wire coil and cut open from one side of the coil to make them into open jump rings. If you are making high-end fine jewelry, you need to pay attention to these details. Probably these details are not important to you. You may have seen these terminologies used on jump rings before and you may be wondering what exactly do they mean? Are they important to your jump ring selection? The short answer is: If you are making handmade jewelry and want to close jump ring without soldering. The most common size is OD 4mm and 5mm for connecting chain links, attach a charm, etc. They are the ways we measure the diameter of the jump ring. Measure the hole or opening on the parts that your jump ring needs to go through, make sure the opening is big enough for the jump ring you chose. If you just want to have jump rings that you can close with a pair of pliers and stay secure, choose a size from 18 gauge to 21 gauge. 22 gauge is already very thin and easy to deform, and easy to be pulled to open if you don’t solder it. For jump rings, the most common gauge is from 18 to 22 gauge. The rule of thumb is the smaller the gauge number, the stronger the jump ring wire. Please see the table below for gauge to millimeter conversion. Wires are measured by gauge to show how strong the wire is. Jump rings are made from wires, like sterling silver wires. We will cover the basic measurement unit, styles, and some terminologies of open jump rings in this post. When purchasing jump rings, it’s important to pick the right size and styles of jump rings for your jewelry project, and for the parts you are connecting to. Jump rings are essential components of jewelry making, especially open jump rings.