Assembly, Findings and Mechanisms
What is examined
This domain tests how components are joined, which joints must remain movable, and how findings and mechanisms are selected and fitted. Expect questions on jump rings, clasps, bails, ear wires, hinges, brooch fittings and the order of assembly.
Core rules
- Findings include jump rings, split rings, bails, lobster claws, spring rings, toggles, hooks, ear wires, posts and butterflies, screw backs, brooch pins and catches, hinges and box clasps. Match the finding to the weight and use of the piece; a light spring ring is not suitable for a heavy pendant.
- Solder or leave movable: a jump ring that must articulate is left unsoldered only if the gap is closed and the ring is strong enough; a load-bearing jump ring is soldered closed. Never solder a hinge, a clasp spring or a joint that must move.
- Assembly order: complete soldering before setting stones and before final polishing. Use hard solder on structural joints, then medium or easy solder on later additions. Keep heat away from moving parts and previously set stones.
- Clearance: moving parts need a small clearance so they do not bind after pickling, polishing or plating. Test every mechanism through its full range before finishing.
- Bails: orient the bail so the pendant hangs correctly and the chain passes freely. Solder the bail before the final polish and before setting stones.
- Ear wires and posts: check length, gauge, burr-free tips and secure backs. Nickel-free metals matter for sensitive wearers.
Worked example
Make a pendant with a soldered bail and a separate jump ring for the chain. Solder the bail to the pendant with hard solder, pickle and rinse. Make or select a jump ring, close it with flush ends, and solder it closed with easy solder while keeping the flame away from the bail joint. Check that the chain passes through the jump ring and that the pendant hangs without twisting. The reasoning is that the bail is structural and needs a strong joint, while the jump ring is a load-bearing connection and must be closed; neither should be left with a gap that can open under wear.
Traps
Soldering a jump ring that must move; leaving a load-bearing jump ring unsoldered; solder flowing into a hinge or catch; fitting a clasp that is too weak for the piece; sharp ear-wire tips; forgetting to test the mechanism before polishing; assembling in an order that forces later heat onto stones or moving parts.