Paperclip Chain Links - The Easy Way!

Chain making is a wonderful way to nail those soldering skills!

In this quick blog post, I want to share with you how I use these handy reverse action ring opening pliers to quickly create paperclip or elongated oval shaped links. It's crazy easy, I promise

Start with a round jump ring

Here I have a round jump ring made from 16 gauge round wire. The inside diameter of this is 8mm and the jump ring is soldered closed.

The great thing about making your links this way, is you could absolutely shape the links once the entire chain is soldered together. If you wanted to - but we'll get to that later.

Grab yourself some reverse action ring opening pliers

I bought mine from Gesswein, just click the button below for a direct link.

Rather than the jaws opening when you open the handle, these pliers open up when you squeeze the handles together.

As always though, we need to do a little modification to our pliers to make sure they don't leave any marks on our work.

Ring Opening Pliers

Modify those pliers so they don't leave gouges

Close up image of pliers after modification with a rubber wheel

If you look at the edges on your brand-new pliers, you'll notice that they're super sharp. If we use these as they are right now - guess what? You're gonna get some gouges! So, before getting started, we're just going to make a little modification using a medium / fine rubber wheel to take those sharp edges off the recesses in our pliers.

Place the jump ring on the pliers

I like to have my jump ring resting in the first set of notches on the pliers so I can make my chain links as narrow as possible at the ends. But you can experiment here depending on the look you're going for.

Using ring opening pliers to create a paperclip chain link

Squeeze the plier handles

Squeeze down on the handle to elongate the jump ring.

As with all pliers that aren't parallel action, the force applied will not be even on both sides of the jump ring. So, simply rotate the jump ring and repeat the process.

Told you it was easy!

As always, there's more than one way to do everything. But for me, I find this is the simplest way possible. And I like the fact that this can be done even after all your links are soldered together.

If you have any favorite ways of your own for forming links, leave me a comment below!

Ready to unleash your inner jewelry maker and create stunning pieces from scratch?

Inside our value-packed online membership, you’ll find all the skills, steps, and tools you need to start making high-quality jewelry from home. With 30+ online classes and 100+ resources, hands-on support from expert jewelers, and a friendly community of like-minded jewelers, you’ll be unstoppable at making your goals a reality. Whether you’re brand new to the game or a seasoned pro, you’ll find everything you need to get unstuck and level up your skills - all in one seamless, flexible, and fun online portal.

Unlock your potential, progress faster, and actually enjoy your jewelry-making journey inside the Metalsmith Academy.

Join the Metalsmith Academy Today

About The Author

Lucy Walker
Lucy Walker is the Founder of Lucy Walker Jewelry & the Metalsmith Academy, she’s a self-proclaimed crossfit box champ, dog mum, and wearer of a bunch of other hats. With over 17 years in the jewelry industry and 7 years empowering jewelry makers globally, Lucy has created world-class online training designed to take you from absolute beginner to jewelry-making pro! Whether you’re looking to build a business, or create beautiful pieces to wear and share with loved ones, Lucy has created the best community to help you do it.

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 1 March 2021

Lucy Walker Jewelry PLT (“LWJ” and any reference to “we”, “us” or “our” shall mean LWJ) respects and is committed to the protection of your personal data and your privacy. This Personal Data Protection Notice (“Privacy Notice”) explains how LWJ collects and handles your personal data in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 of Malaysia and other applicable privacy laws we are to adhere to. Please note that LWJ may amend this Privacy Notice at any time without prior notice and will notify you of any such amendment via our website or by such other means of communication as deemed suitable by LWJ.

1. Personal Data

1.1 Type of personal data

Personal data means any information which relates to you or in respect of a third party and which was collected or provided to LWJ for any of the purposes stated in Section 2 below (“Purposes”).

Your personal data may include, but is not limited to, your name, address, email address, contact information and IP address.

1.2 Source of personal data

LWJ collects your personal data whether directly from you or indirectly from third parties such as your third party representatives in connection with any submission, transaction, arrangements and/or enquiries made with LWJ including when you send us enquiries, register for an account on our website, purchase products or memberships from us, or join our online competitions and contests.

1.3 Obligatory personal data

All information requested for in the relevant forms and documents is obligatory to be provided by you unless stated otherwise.

Should you fail to provide the obligatory information, we may be unable to process your request and/or provide you with relevant services and products.

2. Purposes of collecting and further processing (including disclosing) your personal data

Your personal data is collected and further processed by LWJ as required or permitted by law and to give effect to your requested commercial transaction, including the following (Purposes):

(a) to assess and process your request for our products and services;
(b) to administer and give effect to your commercial transaction
(c) to facilitate your participation in, and our administration of, any events including contests, promotions or campaigns;
(d) to administer and communicate with you in relation to our products, services, promotions and/or events;
(e) to process any payments related to products and services requested by you;
(f) for internal investigations, compliance, audit or security purposes including without limitation for crime detection, prevention and prosecution;
(g) to conduct research for internal marketing analysis and analysis of customer patterns and choices;
(h) to better manage our business and your relationship with LWJ;
(i) to respond to your enquiries and to resolve any issues and disputes which may arise in connection with any dealings with LWJ;
(j) to comply with LWJ’s legal and regulatory obligations in the conduct of its business including to meet any disclosure requirements of any law binding upon LWJ;
(k) to contact you and/or provide you with information regarding products, services, upcoming events, promotions, advertising, marketing and commercial materials which may be of interest to you;
(l) to ensure that the content from our website is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer and/or device;
(m) for LWJ’s internal records management; or
(n) for any other purpose that is required or permitted by any laws, regulations, guidelines including the requirements of any governmental or regulatory authorities.
Where you have indicated your consent to receiving marketing or promotional updates from LWJ, you may opt-out from receiving such marketing or promotional material at any time. You may select the “unsubscribe” option provided in our email blasts or you may contact LWJ at the contact details provided in Section (6) below.

3. Disclosure or transfer of personal data (within or outside of Malaysia)

Classes of third parties

Your personal data may be disclosed or transferred to relevant third parties (within or outside of Malaysia) as required under law, pursuant to relevant contractual relationship (for example, our third party service providers) or for the Purposes (or directly related to Purposes).

Your personal data may be disclosed to the following classes of third parties:

Third parties appointed by us to provide services to us or on our behalf (such as banks or financial institutions, auditors, lawyers, company secretary, information technology (IT) system / software vendors, contractors, marketing consultants and other advisers);
Any financial institutions, merchants, credit card associations, or payment gateways in connection with your use of any credit or debit card in any transactions made with us;
Law enforcement agencies including courts, tribunals or authorities, whether governmental or quasi-governmental having jurisdiction over LWJ;
Relevant governmental agencies, statutory authorities, industry regulators and local councils; and
Any persons, authorities or regulators to whom LWJ is permitted or required to disclose to under the laws of any country.

4. Websites

4.1 Links to other sites

Content in any website run by LWJ (“LWJ Websites”) may include links to third party websites. LWJ is not responsible for the content on such linked third party websites and users should observe the separate privacy policies applicable to the respective third parties website.

4.2 Cookies

LWJ may collect information about your visits to the LWJ Websites without you actively submitting such information. Unidentifiable information may be collected using various technologies, such as cookies, and web beacons. Cookies are small text files that are transferred to your computer’s hard disk by a website. Web beacons (also referred to as GIF files, pixels or Internet tags) help LWJ recognise a unique cookie on your browser. Your internet browser automatically transmits to LWJ some of this unidentifiable information, such as the URL of the LWJ Website you just visited and the browser version your computer is operating.

Passive information collection technologies can make your use of the LWJ Websites easier by allowing LWJ to provide better service, customise the LWJ Websites based on consumer preferences, compile statistics, analyse trends, and otherwise administer and improve the LWJ Websites. Certain features of the LWJ Websites may not work without use of passive information collection technologies. Information collected by these technologies cannot be used to identify you without additional identifiable information and LWJ will not collect additional identifiable information with information collected through the use of such tracking technologies.

5. Right to access and correct personal data

You have the right to access and correct your personal data held by us (subject always to certain exceptions). We will make every endeavour to ensure your personal data is accurate and up to date therefore we ask that if there are changes to your information you should notify us directly at the contact details set out in Item (6) below

6. Limiting the processing of personal data, further enquiries and complaints

If:

you would like to obtain further information on how to limit the processing of your personal data;
you have any further query; or
you would like to make a complaint in respect of your personal data,
you may contact :-

Designation : Business Director
Email Address : shaun@lucywalkerjewellery.com