Jewelry Creations: How to Weave Byzantine Chainmaille

One of my most popular jewelry creations is a weaved pattern called byzantine chainmaille. The finished product of a weaved piece looks like this:

Before you begin, there are a few materials that you need to assemble jump rings into a final product:

Jump rings are available online, or you can visit a previous blog on how to make jump rings yourself.

Materials you need:

• Around 200 18 gauge jump rings with a 3.5 internal diameter

• Two sets of pliers.

• A piece of scrap wire or a twisty tie works as well

• A ruler

• A well lit area

To begin weaving your jewelry creation, follow the steps below carefully:

1. Grab your rings, and make sure they are open.

2. Put two closed rings on a twisty tie or scrap piece of wire, and twist the wire or tie closed around them.

3. Put two rings through the two attached to the wire and close them with your pliers.

4. Run two more rings through the last two rings, and close them with your pliers.

5. Flip the two end rings so they are opposite the others, making “bunny ears.”

6. Run two jump rings in the middle of the “bunny ears” and close them with your pliers.

7. Repeat this process over and over again to make byzantine chainmaille.

Soon you will be a byzantine chainmaille weaving master! Examples of completed jewelry creations using this technique can be found here and here.