Photo Tutorial Tropical Rays Bracelet

Author's Note
Our projects were very popular during the lifetime of our business and we wanted to ensure they continued to provide inspiration for chain maillers whatever their experience. It's a pleasure to see they will live on with Chainmaillers.com
-Sarah Austin

Tropical Rays Bracelet​

Tropical Rays is an easy weave which comes from the Byzantine family of weaves. Once you have mastered the basic chain maille weave, you can try out the bracelet variations.


For a 21cm (8 inch) bracelet, you will need:

• 12 red anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 24 orange anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 18 yellow anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 12 green anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 8 royal blue anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 16 purple anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 11 large silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 10.2mm, WD 1.6mm
• 4 small silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 4.2mm, WD 1.2mm - clasp rings
• 11 silver plated large hole acrylic beads, 8mm
• silver plated medium wrapped Tierracast toggle, 12x16mm

Tools:

• two pairs of smooth jawed chain nose, flat nose, or bent nose pliers

Instructions​

NOTE: If the large ring feels stiff, check the position of the smaller rings as they should sit neatly next to each other. Tweak the rings into place, if necessary.
Each pair of colour units are placed as mirror images, like a pair of brackets for the beaded ring component.

1. Close twelve orange, twelve red, eight blue and eight purple rings. Open twelve orange and eight purple rings.
   
   Link four closed rings in the following colour order - red, orange, red, orange - using two orange rings. Make six of these colour units (left hand picture).
   
   Link four closed rings in the following colour order - blue, purple, blue, purple - using two purple rings. Make four of these colour units (right hand picture).
   
   
   
   
   
2. Weave one large silver ring through the four alternate coloured rings of one red/orange unit, one bead and the four alternate coloured rings of one purple/blue unit. Make four of these double components (top picture).
   
   Weave one large silver ring through the four alternate coloured rings of one red/orange unit and one bead. Make two of these single components (left hand picture).
   
   Weave one large silver ring through one bead - make five bead-only components (right hand picture).
   
   
   
   
   
3. Open eighteen yellow and twelve green rings. Start with one red/orange single component and one bead-only component.
   
   Fold back the pair of orange rings so that they are on either side of the large silver ring.
   
   Link one yellow ring between the first orange and red rings of the group of four and underneath the two orange rings you have folded back. Join to the bead-only component, as shown.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Link one yellow ring between the first red and second orange rings of the group of four and underneath the two orange rings you have folded back. Join to the bead-only component, as shown.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Link one yellow ring between the second orange and red rings of the group of four and underneath the two orange rings you have folded back. Again, join to the bead-only component.
   
   The outer rings will naturally close around the yellow rings. Note in the picture how the four alternate rings sit next to each other.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Link the red/orange unit of a double component to the same bead-only component as in steps 3-5 with the beads on alternate sides.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Repeat step 6 to link the blue/purple unit of the same double unit to another bead-only component using green rings.
   
   
8. Continue linking double components to bead-only components, alternating between the two coloured units.
   
   
9. At the end of the chain, link the second single component.
   
   
10. Attach the toggle rings using one small silver clasp ring. Attach the toggle bar with a short chain of three clasp rings.

Variations​

• For matching earrings, make a chain using three large rings joined with one colour unit each.
• For the bracelet variation below:

​

Materials​

For a 19.5cm (7 and 3/4 inch) bracelet, you will need:

• 24 red anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 48 orange anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 36 yellow anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 24 green anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 16 royal blue anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 32 purple anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 22 large silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 10.2mm, WD 1.6mm
• 4 small silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 4.2mm, WD 1.2mm - clasp rings
• 11 silver plated large hole acrylic beads, 8mm
• silver plated 2-strand clasp

Instructions​

1. Link one silver ring through one bead. Link a second silver ring through the same bead - the rings lay on top of each other. Make 5 bead-only component.
   
   Repeat the bead-only component but add one red/orange and one blue/purple unit to each silver ring before closing. Make 4.
   
   Repeat component 2 but only add one red/orange unit each time. Make 2.
   
   
2. Follow steps 3-9 using doubled components instead of the single components of the main project.
   
   
3. Using one clasp ring each time, link the 2-strand clasp to each end of the chain.

• For the second bracelet variation below:

Materials​

For a 19.5cm (7 and 3/4 inch) bracelet, you will need:

• 20 red anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 40 orange anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 40 yellow anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 40 green anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 20 royal blue anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 40 purple anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 15 large silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 10.2mm, WD 1.6mm
• 4 small silver anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 4.2mm, WD 1.2mm - clasp rings
• 10 silver plated large hole acrylic beads, 8mm
• silver plated medium wrapped Tierracast toggle, 12x16mm

Instructions​

1. Make the following components:
   • four blue/purple units on one silver ring x 2
   • four red/orange units on one silver ring x 2
   • two red/orange units on one silver ring x 1
   • two blue/purple units on one silver ring x 1
2. Link two silver rings through one silver bead and four alternate yellow/green rings x 5
   
   
3. Link each set of ring components to a beaded component as in steps 3-9, alternating colours and with a bead at each edge.
   
   
4. Using one clasp ring each time, link the 2-strand clasp to each end of the chain.

Colour Variations​

• Try black ice rings, silver beads and pastel coloured rings.
• Use shades of your favourite colours like ice blue and royal blue for the coloured rings.
• The large beads also come in gold or copper plate - use one of them with your favourite colours or use alternating beads.

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©2021 Sarah Austin. All rights reserved.