To answer this question, I delved back into my early days. I want to share my memories, my trials, and the method I have since adopted to properly open and close a jump ring. I had plenty of projects and zero know-how, having never created jewelry myself just for fun—yes, really. I would find styles I liked elsewhere, from other designers or brands. I am entirely self-taught, so I started from scratch, just like you might be doing right now. What made up my mind was that seashell jewelry exactly as I create it—Micro-sculpted with my Oceanic Glazing—didn't exist anywhere else; otherwise, I wouldn't have created it.

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I wanted to be able to offer you something different, something worthy of the incredible beauty of seashells. In short, Micro-sculpture allows me to create Custom and personalized seashell jewelry for you, and the Oceanic Glazing restores the water's glow to your shell, as if you had just picked it up at the water's edge.
 

Picture this: we are in 2015, I am sitting in front of my sketchbook, I have my sublime seashells gleaned from the beach right in front of my house. I've already tried working with them—I spent over an hour drilling just one (and broke many: a total disaster)—yet I am determined to see my idea through. So, I draw, I scribble down my ideas, I write about the brand's concept.

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I thought about the tools and equipment I would need, I already procured them, I have everything in front of me, and I am thrilled #iamprest. Speaking of which, I highly recommend investing in good quality pliers if you plan on making jewelry often (whether with shells or not). I bought an assortment of electrician's pliers when I started, while picking out my precious Dremel in a very well-known hardware store; I kept those first pliers for a very long time. Later, I treated myself to finer ones, but to start, it's a minimal investment to make and highly useful—you will thank me for a long time.

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And then (finally...), it hit me that I hadn't asked myself the "how-to" question (hahaha!). So there I was, searching for advice. I found it by gleaning information absolutely everywhere. From all this research, I created my own simple and effective method. I like things done right and I wanted to learn the best practices, so I took the time to learn. I read as many texts as possible, watched an incredible number of videos, discovered websites of tradespeople who love sharing their know-how; I absorbed all the available knowledge that met my needs. I spent whole hours, days to be precise, and I am still learning today. Rule number 1 for anyone who creates: learn, work, and pass it on.

 

The equipment you will need to start is a pair of flat-nose pliers and round-nose pliers, which will be used to open and close the rigid jump ring provided with your Custom PAMPAYA. All my jump rings are in 14K Gold Filled or 925 Silver.

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Forget arts and crafts, handmade hobbies, and DO-IT-YOURSELF workshops; your handmade jewelry deserves better.

Do you want to create your own seashell jewelry? I completely understand, and I suggest you learn how to do it professionally. Why settle for less when making your own jewelry, since you'll want to wear it for a long time?

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Here is what I want to share with you: the absolute basics, and above all, what they don't tell you on the websites you visit, just like I did before you. Opening a jump ring—meaning clamping the ring between round-nose and flat-nose pliers to offset the two ends in opposite directions by one or two millimeters, then bringing them back together—is useless and DOES NOT AT ALL guarantee that your ring is properly closed.

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I learned from a master jeweler with years of experience, an heir to traditional French Savoir-Faire, and I’m gifting this knowledge to you. Remember this: simply placing the two ends face-to-face, as shown in so many DIYs, is not enough... Yeah, no. It’s wrong. Depending on the alloy, the thickness, and the quality of the ring you’ve chosen, there’s a high risk it will open and, unfortunately, you’ll lose what makes your jewelry so beautiful—we’ve all been there, haven't we?

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Here is my secret: when you open the ring, do so by applying light inward pressure with both pliers: shift them to spread the ends apart while simultaneously bringing them closer together, so that the two tips of the ring overlap very slightly. You must ensure the two ends cannot simply meet with a straight motion that brings them face-to-face.

 

That’s the DIY method explained everywhere, and it’s exactly what we don’t want.

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In other words, you spread them—one end to the right, the other to the left—it couldn't be simpler.

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Are you still with me? The trick is this: to close the ring, you must slide the tips against each other. It’s this friction (or tension) that will eliminate any possible gap between the two. Here is my method, my gift to you.

 

 

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This is the method used in the professional jewelry industry. If you ever need to solder a ring, you slide an extremely thin piece of solder—a paillon—between the two and melt it. The result is a clean joint that, with experience, requires little to no finishing. But that is a story for another time. I strongly advise against soldering any ring attached to a PAMPAYA with Oceanic Glazing, as the heat would damage the glassy effect I have crafted for you.

Because hardness does not mean resilience, contrary to popular belief, I created 'THE L|C DROP: We got your shell'. These are the new rings I designed, supplied closed on the PAMPAYAS that fit most of your jewelry (rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces). My L|C DROPS are slipped into your charms as a flexible ring, far more resistant to movement and accidental snags, totally eliminating the shocks that rigid metal rings inflict on their settings.

 

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I invented them for this very reason. There is nothing more frustrating than damaging a beautiful object you cherish simply because of a rigid ring's hardness. They are flexible and strong, crafted in 14K Gold Filled or 925 Silver, depending on your choice. My L|C DROPS accompany all your PAMPAYAS; they are made from my high-resistance memory wire, sealed with a matching cover. I have seen jewelry (chains, bracelets...) pulled by a baby’s hands that didn't survive the shock; this has never happened to the mothers who bought my necklaces with this type of attachment, which I’ve also used for my clasps since 2015.

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From the start, I wanted to offer you clasp-free jewelry for a 'wear in a second' experience—as easy to put on as it is to change. Their resistance limit is one and a half times their initial size. And if that margin isn’t enough, repairing your attachment is one of the services included in​ your 2-year guarantee on 14K Gold Filled and 925 Silver jewelry.

 

 

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Have you ever read this adage? 'A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.' The logic behind it is that the force applied to a chain is evenly distributed among its links, each bearing the same weight.

 

You have two choices: if you want total security, opt for thick chains; if you prefer delicacy, they will be fragile. And if you know my journey, then you know I only have eyes for the delicate. That is why I invented 'THE L|C DROP: We got your shell'—I refused to choose between beauty and strength.

Depending on the piece of jewelry you wish to hang your charm from, you may need to attach a jump ring between the L|C drop (flexible ring) and, for instance, your chain. In that case, I have just shared with you the finest method for opening and closing a ring with the dexterity of someone who has mastered this craft for over a decade.

Read more : How to drill a seashell without breaking it ?

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​If you have any questions, please don’t stay in the dark. Contact me via the chat—I would be delighted to assist you.

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