Gyrogami Blog - Precious Metals, Jewelry, Artwork

Micromaille Challenges

Blog Index

Purse repair rings
0.30mm, 1.18mm I.D.

Categories: Instruction and information; Jewelry

Word count/read time: 459 words; 2 minutes

Micromaille - feathery tendrils of metal seeming unlikely to support their weight - is most easily made by machines. They have the advantage regarding precision and speed. Fortunately for us, machines must be programmed for each weave which ensures most chainmaille is off limits. Handmade items are 100% necessary when needed.

Micromaille generally refers to rings under 1/8" inner diameter and 20ga or thinner. Nanomaille would be smaller yet. Few manufacturers offer such rings so you're making them yourself, which is no small task.

Every conscientious artisan knows pinch- and shear-cut rings are a disaster, especially here due to the cavernous cut relative to ring and wire size. Responsible maillers know the only suitable rings are at least saw-cut with a jeweler's blade.

Most of us make coiled-and-cut rings, which are helixes instead of a perfect donut shape (tori). The material removed from cutting affects their appearance and function to a certain degree. It's a bigger concern for micro rings.

Simple math explains it. A 14ga ring (1.6mm) with an inner diameter of 10mm and a closure misalignment of 0.1mm will catch a fingernail. It is a 6.25% deviation based on wire diameter (0.1mm/1.6mm=0.0625). A micromaille ring at the same aspect ratio (0.4mm wire, 2.5mm I.D.) is a massive 25% misalignment (0.1mm/0.4mm).

The true difficulty can only be appreciated by those who weld or solder rings into perfect donuts. It's necessary for durability and strength, a fact often glossed over.

Therefore, anyone who makes precious metal micromaille without welding or soldering the rings should rethink their approach. The rest of us should avoid buying it. Precious metals are weak and small sizes can be real bad. Science is correct in this matter.

(I have seen $20k gold and silver micromaille necklaces without soldered rings, many gaps and misaligned edges, and rings with crooked cuts. Expensive doesn't mean well-made and in this case, kind of an eyesore.)

Micromaille is all that jazz but requires exacting detail and substantially more time. Skill is determined by how small it can be made well. Without the patience to close a ring properly in regular-size maille, looking through a magnifying glass while fumbling with rings too tiny to hold will be inglorious.

Simply, the challenges exponentially increase as rings get smaller. You have to walk before running. Micromaille is an ultra-marathon. When or where you start is irrelevant; it's all about the how.

Here are some of my welded micromaille designs or pieces containing parts thereof. All are handmade with my eco-friendly precious metals. Unless noted otherwise, they are 0.999 fine silver:

Posted by M: April 20, 2020

Please email any thoughts or comments regarding this post.

Previous Entry . . . . Next Entry

Comment Section

NOTE: Your comments will be included in this section as long as they aren't illegal. This section is censor-free so show me your intelligence or ignorance and everything in between!

2025