You need bails to create the best kind of pendant necklaces. If you are modifying your plain chain necklaces at home and wish to add a pendant or you’re getting into jewelry making, you will need the best bails for the pendants.
In this regard, the best bails come in the right sizes, and we’ll help you make the right choice of bails for your pendant necklaces.
Here, we’ll share with you the sizing chart for the pendant bails and also give you a simple guide on what you should look out for in the bails for pendants. So, let’s get right into it!
Pendant Bail Size Chart
Essentially, the bail size depends on a number of factors such as the type or design of the pendant, size of the pendant, chain size, etc.
How do you measure bail for a pendant?
As the primary feature in necklaces designed for easy attachment of pendants and stone, the bail is essentially a feature incorporated or centered on your necklace from where the pendant hangs.
The common bails on the market are the ones that allow the necklace chain to flow easily. The bail is then attached to the pendant using a ring, which is known as a jump ring. For the bails to get the job done, they come in different shapes and sizes, and they are also designed to work differently.
In most cases, the bail comes with a clip that would attach to the pendant, but then there are others whose bases have to be glued to the pendant, as well as the bails that attach to the ring on the pendant easily.
So, the bail is a crucial feature whose primary role is to flatten the pendant that goes to the chain, hence a comfortable fit.
While the bails come in different shapes and designs, and sizes, the size of the bail is the most important component of this finding, and you need to get its size right for your projects. So, how do you determine the size of the bail for the pendant?
You can accurately determine the size of bail by measuring its vertical height using tape or any other type of measuring equipment, including calipers.
To determine the actual size of the bail, you’d have to slide open the gauge to the size of the bail, then record its size. Note that you’d have to place your open calipers exactly where you’d like the pendant to go, then check if it’s small or large enough.
Keep in mind that it is important to get the size of the bail right because getting the bail size wrong and ending up with an extra thick chain means that the chain will not fit through the bail.
It’s also important to keep in mind the diameter of the bail and that of the chain, making sure that the diameter of the bail is big enough for the chain to fit through.
The right size of the bail is also crucial because it ensures a nice balanced look, which is very important when it comes to jewelry.
What is the bail size for the chain?
As mentioned above, bails are important and classy bits that go into your jewelry, creating great pendant necklaces. The bail is essentially meant to connect the wire that wraps the pendant or the cabochon to the handmade or even the store-bought chain.
Most of the bails on the market are 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, or 11mm, and these work great for most types of chains.
That said, you also need to take note of the fact that the construction and the sturdiness of the bail are just as important as its size because the bail should have the capacity to support the heavier chains and pendants or even charms.
So, the bail should not just be a few inches wider than the chain but also have the capacity to comfortably hold the bigger or heavier pendants or chains.
What size bail is considered as a large bail?
While you want a bail that will hold the chain and the pendant with ease, comfortably, you wouldn’t want the bail to be too big because the rest of the elements for the necklace and the pendant will be out of place, and that is not something you want to deal with when you are only starting out in your jewelry making venture.
Keeping in mind that good jewelry is all about balance, you should avoid bails that are too big.
How to choose a bail for pendants
- Consider the bail type
This is the first and also the most important consideration to keep in mind when looking for bails for pendant necklaces.
There are many types of bails that you could choose from, and they all vary in regards to their styles and how they are used.
There are some that work better for beads, and others are ideal for pendants. So, before you settle on the donut, drilled or the undrilled bails, among other types of bails, first understand how the bail is intended to work and its suitability for your project.
Your top options include the glue bails, enhancers, slide bails, peg bails, and you also have the standard bails.
The pinch bails, for example, are not the thickest bails on the market, and they work well with most pendants.
- Size
Get the size right. The bail shouldn’t be too big or too small, but just the right size. You could use the sizing chart above to ensure that you have the right size for the bails, chain, and pendant.
You also need to take into account the need for a jump ring which comes in handy when the size of the bail is a tad too small, and you need to create a better illusion of balance.
Note that the size of the bail is its vertical height, and if the chain you intend to use with the pendant is a tad too thick, it means that you won’t get the pendant through it, so a thinner chain would be ideal.
Conclusion
The ideal bails for the pendant are meant to accentuate the design and the appearance of the necklace/ chain and the pendant.
And for this to happen, the size of the bail (and/or the jump ring to be incorporated) must be right.
The sizing chart above will ensure that you get the sizes right, making sure that you create elegant jewelry on your first attempt.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.