Make a Pair of DNA Chain Mail Earrings

Use two sizes of jump rings to create a

simple pair of earrings with a natural twist.

by John Fetvedt

DNA chain is a beginner chain mail pattern

that uses two jump ring sizes to create a spiral

reminiscent of a double helix. One appeal of

this pattern: It naturally forms a spiral as you add links,

so there’s no need to twist it. As with many chain mail

patterns, there are several ways to assemble the DNA

chain, but I find this method to be the simplest and

easiest to understand. Experiment with the length of

the earrings and the metals used for the jump rings

to create a variety of styles.

These 11/2-in. (38 mm) earrings are made with Argentium sterling silver and niobium jump rings. For a twist on this look, experi-ment with aluminum, gold-filled, brass, and copper jump rings.

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©2014 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Process photos by John Fetvedt.

materials ■ 18 Argentium sterling silver jump rings: 18-gauge (1.0 mm), 4 mm inside diameter (ID)

■ 32 Niobium jump rings: 20-gauge (0.8 mm), 2.4 mm ID

■ 2 Argentium sterling silver ear wires ■ 2 Sterling silver beads: 4 mm round, at least a 1.5 mm hole

■ Chain Mail

additional tools & supplies ■ Paper clip, twist tie, or scrap wire

suppliers ■ Jump rings (Spiderchain, www.spiderchain.com)

■ Sterling silver ear wires (Rio Grande, www.riogrande.com)

■ Beads (Foreign Source [wholesale only], www.foreignsource.com)

■ Complete kits (Bijoux-de-terre, www.bijoux-de-terre.com)

Add two small 20-gauge (0.8 mm) 2.4 mm jump rings to the first large ring, and close them.

Insert a second large ring through both small rings and the first large ring, going from the front at the bottom to the rear at the top. Close this ring.

Flip the second large ring back, laying it on top of the first large ring.

Close one large 18-gauge (1.0 mm) 4 mm jump ring , and place it on a tail wire. Work from left to right to help make sure that you add rings in the correct orientation.

NOTE: A tail wire is any short length of wire — a twist tie, paper clip, or scrap wire — used to identify the start of the chain; it also gives you something to hold on to while assembling the chain.

tapered DNAYou can also make these earrings with graduated sizes of jump rings to create a taper. Follow the same steps as for the regular DNA chain earrings, but replace the large rings with rings of graduated sizes according to the following list. The small rings are all the same size as they are in the main project.

• Begin with one 18-gauge (1.0 mm) 3.6 mm ID ring

• Add one 4 mm ID ring• Add one 4.4 mm ID ring• Add one 4.8 mm ID ring• Add one 5.2 mm ID ring• Add one 5.6 mm ID ring• Add one 6 mm ID ring• Finish with one 6.4 mm ID ring

NOTE: The tapered earrings use eight large rings and 14 small rings per earring.

chain earringsThese earrings are actual size.

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NOTE: The orientation of the third large ring with respect to the previous two has changed and has begun to spiral. You’ll know you’ve inserted a large ring in the wrong direction if the spiral doesn’t continue in the same direction.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: JOHN FETVEDT

Repeat steps 7–9 until you have used nine large rings and 16 small rings.

Open the last large ring on the chain, and add a sterling silver bead to stabilize the end of the chain.

Pull the second large ring toward the end of the chain to force the two small rings into position on each side of the connection between the two large rings.

Add two small rings to the second large ring. As in step 3, insert a third large ring through both small rings and the second large ring, going in the same direction as before. Close this ring.

Slide the two small rings apart so that they are on opposite sides of the pair of large rings.

Flip the third ring back, laying it on top of the second large ring.

Slide the two small rings apart, and place one at each side of the pair of large rings. Pull the large ring toward the end of the chain to force the small rings into position.

Remove the tail wire, and add an ear wire to the first large ring in the chain.

Construct the second earring as a mirror image of the first. In step 3, insert the second large ring through both small rings and the first large ring going in the opposite direction you did for the first earring: Add the ring from the rear at the bottom to the front at the top.

You can burnish the finished earrings in a tumbler with stainless steel shot and burnishing compound for 15–20 minutes, or leave them as-is.

John Fetvedt works primarily with silver, gold, and titanium in such techniques as anticlastic forming, casting, chain making, etching, fold-forming, forging, and stone setting. He teaches chain making and chain mail classes at the Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee, Wis., The Crafts Center at North Carolina State University, the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts in Young Harris, Ga., The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, N.C., and the Interweave Bead Fests. Three of his designs

are projects in Chain Mail Jewelry: Contemporary Designs from Classic Techniques, by Terry Taylor and Dylon Whyte, and several of his projects have been published in Art Jewelry magazine.

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