Different ways to use one component: Rings

This is “Part 1” in a series of blogs that I will be writing about the different ways one component style can be used. My goal is to inspire “outside the box” thinking when it comes to jewelry components. Quite often, a component that seems as if it should only be used for one type of jewelry, such as earrings, actually works very well across the whole jewelry-making board. When you start playing around with these pieces in what seems like a non-traditional manner, the possibilities – and the fun – are endless!

Since the selection of components is vast, rather than try to cram many styles into one blog post, I’m going to break things down by component type. Today’s subject: Rings!

I don’t know what it is about rings as jewelry components, but for some reason they are one of my favorite things to work with. There are just so many ways to work them into jewelry design. Below are a few ideas to get your creative ball rolling!

Because rings tend to be pretty lightweight, even large rings work well for earrings. Here are a couple ideas for designing earrings around large rings:

Wire-wrapped rings — Large bronze rings wire-wrapped with crystal rondelles and Czech glass melon beads. These rings measure approximately 1″ in diameter.

Highlighting a single bead — Large bronze rings are perfect for showing off a favorite bead…in this case, an 8mm Czech glass melon bead.

I find that medium-sized rings are great for highlighting larger bead groups and clusters; the beads and the rings balance each other out very well:

Red and Turquoise Charm Catcher — “Charm Catcher” in style, these medium rings display a collection of Czech glass beads and natural turquoise. These rings measure approximately 3/4″ in diameter.

Stacks of Roman Glass — These stacks of Roman Glass wafers balance perfectly with medium bronze rings.

And small rings really lend themselves to long, swingy “shoulder-duster” earrings:

Garnet Earrings — Faceted garnet drops swing from links of crystal rondelles, Czech glass druks, and small bronze rings. These rings measure approximately 1/2″ in diameter.

Long Czech Glass Earrings — Czech glass druk and drop beads dangle from small bronze rings.

And, this pair of hoop earrings demonstrates a completely different approach for incorporating small rings into an earring design!

Hoops — Japanese seed beads, Czech glass Matubo seed beads, and Czech glass druk and melon beads make up this unique pair of front-facing hoop earrings.

Of course, though, ring components are also great in necklaces. They are ideal for creating pendants that showcase favorite beads:

Silver Necklace — Two fine silver rings connected with hand forged jump rings are the perfect match for a lightweight Roman glass wafer.

Bronze Necklace — Connecting two bronze rings in graduated sizes adds visual interest.

And of course we cannot forget bracelets! I often use rings are part of the clasping system in my bracelet designs, which really brings “form and function” together as one.

Turquoise Bracelet — I used both small and medium bronze rings as part of this bracelet’s closing system.

Petey's Pebbles Bracelet — Here, a large bronze ring not only serves as part of the clasp, but also as part of the design.

Triple Wrap Bracelet — Rings add another level of design when use as part of the clasp in wrap bracelets, too!

This is just the tip of the iceberg…there are so many different ways to incorporate rings into your jewelry designs. Remember: Just because a piece looks like it should be used for one specific purpose, it doesn’t mean there aren’t many other fun and exciting ways to use it! I hope these ideas get your creative juices flowing!

My handcrafted bronze and copper rings can be found in the “Links/Connectors” section of my Etsy shop. I hope you enjoy working with them as much as I do!