This page is devoted to letting you know more about the materials that go into the making of the chainmaile on this site. Here you will find information about the metals and the gemstones & beads that are used in many of my designs, as well as some information about the size classifications you may have come across while exploring the site. There is also a section with information about all of the findings available with my ropes and chains, and in the future I will be adding a section about the processes used to create my jewelry.


Here at Maile of the Dreamseeker I use a number of different metals to create my designs. This section will tell you a bit about each metal, including its color and composition.*


ALUMINUM- Aluminum is light gray in color, and ultra-light weight at about one third the weight of steel. However, the aluminum I use is hard tempered, making it strong regardless of its light weight. The only real downfall of basic aluminum is its black oxide. With exposure to air a thin black layer builds up on the metal and this will rub off on skin and clothing, which is why this metal is not used for jewelry.
Composition: Aluminum (100%)
ACID-ETCHED ALUMINUM- Acid-Etched Aluminum is aluminum that has been soaked in an acid, usually sulfuric, to prevent the oxidizing that occurs with normal aluminum. It is almost white in color, and is still extremely light weight like normal aluminum. However, after a while the etching will begin to fail, and it will produce a light oxide. As with my normal aluminum, the acid-etched aluminum is hard tempered for increased strength.
Composition: Aluminum (100%)
ANODIZED ALUMINUM- Anodized aluminum is probably my favorite type of aluminum. Like all of the aluminum I use it is hard tempered and extremely light weight, however, anodized aluminum is also colorful! Aluminum rings are taken and soaked in acid while an electrical current is run through them to open up the pores, allowing dye to soak in and create extremely bright and vivid colors. The coating does not wear off, however, it can be scratched. These rings tend to be slightly more expensive because I cannot do the anodizing myself. I currently offer anodized aluminum pieces in Black, Blue, Gold, Green, Red, and Purple.
Composition: Aluminum (100%)
BRIGHT ALUMINUM- Bright aluminum is an aluminum alloy that doesn't oxidize. The color is much lighter than normal aluminum and just a bit darker than sterling silver. Sinze acid etching can wear off, and normal aluminum oxidizes, this is my preferred choice of alloy for aluminum chainmail.
Composition: Unknown
BRASS- Brass has a smooth, metallic yellow color, a bit more yellow than most gold. It is a copper alloy but is much stronger than most copper, and the brass I use is a half-hard temper just to be on the safe side. The only real downside to brass is the weight. Like anything made out of copper, brass is going to be on the heavy side of metals, weighing about the same as silver and a bit more than steel. It will tarnish, however it tarnishes far less than pure copper.
Composition: Copper (67%), Zinc (33%)
BRONZE- Bronze has a very similar color to copper, but is just a bit darker and a little less red. I prefer to use bronze where many would use copper because of the increased strength. Bronze will be a bit lighter in weight then pure copper, and probably twice as strong. Like copper, bronze will also tarnish.
Composition: Copper (94%), Tin (6%)
COPPER- Copper is a dark metallic orange color, with just a hint of red. Like most precious metals it is absolutely beautiful. However, beauty comes at a cost, as copper is also quite heavy and fairly weak. Because of this I recommend bronze as a substitute for most purposes. However, if you must have copper (and I don't really blame you as the color is really quite beautiful) I do offer it by custom order. You may also wish to take a look at my Lore page, which has a bit of information about the rumored metaphysical properties of copper. Please note that copper will tarnish over time.
Composition: Copper (100%)
14K. GOLD (YELLOW)- This is standard, classic, 14k. gold. Contrary to popular beliefs, gold alloys like this are actually quite strong, and chainmail made from 14k. gold is about twice as strong as sterling silver chainmail. Gold is very non-reactive, making it an excellent choice for many people with metal allergies.
Composition: Gold (58.48%) alloyed with Copper and Silver
14K. GOLD (WHITE)- Most 14k. white gold on the market is alloyed with nickle to give it the white color. Most white gold jewelry is then plated with rhodium to give it a brighter white. In contrast, the white gold I use is alloyed with palladium, which has a bright white color, no plating that can wear off over time, and no nickle, which is a common source of allergic reactions. It is also slightly heavier and stronger than nickle-based white gold. Unfortunately, at this time I do not have a source for palladium white gold findings, so my white gold findings are all nickle-based.
Composition: Gold (58.48%), Palladium (10-15%) alloyed with Copper and Silver
14K. GOLD (GREEN)- 14k. Green Gold differs from 14k. yellow gold only in its silver to copper ratio. By increasing the amount of silver (without decreasing the amount of gold) in the alloy, the metal is given a green color.
Composition: Gold (58.48%) alloyed with Copper and Silver
14K. GOLD (RED)- 14k. red gold (also known as 14k. rose gold) is very similar to normal 14k. yellow gold, except that the alloy has a higher copper to silver ratio, which gives it a red color.
Composition: Gold (58.48%) alloyed with Copper and Silver
GOLDFILL- Goldfill (or Goldfilled) is a far less expensive alternative to solid gold. The color is identical to 12k. yellow gold, however, instead of being gold all the way through, a layer of gold is bonded to a base metal core. This is a far more durable process then plating, and the finished product that I use is 1/20th gold by weight. It is also half-hard tempered, making it far stronger than most gold that you buy.
Composition: 1/20th Gold, bonded to a base metal
INCONEL- Inconel is a high performance space-age nickel super-alloy. It is stronger than steel and extremely corrosion resistant. The alloy I use, Inconel 600, is primarily used in nuclear reactors. As for the color, in small rings it is just slightly darker than steel. In larger rings the nickel shows through a bit more, and it gains a golden tint. It is also slightly heavier than steel. I only stock a little of this, which is why you won't find very much of it in the design catalog. However, I can order it for use on custom pieces.
Composition: Nickel (76%), Chromium (15.5%), Iron (8%)
NICKEL SILVER (GERMAN SILVER)- Nickel silver, also known as German silver, is a copper alloy that does not actually contain any real silver. The color varies from supplier to supplier, ranging from a dull silver to a light yellow. The nickel silver I use is the best I've been able to find, with a nice rich color that is something of a cross between silver and gold. Like all copper alloys, nickel silver will tarnish slightly.
Composition: Copper (65%), Zinc (17%), Nickel (18%)
STAINLESS STEEL- Stainless steel has a deep, medium to dark gray color. I enjoy using stainless steel for jewelry because you do not see it nearly so often as sterling or gold, and yet it is very pretty and far less expensive. It also weighs a bit less, is quite strong, and does not tarnish or oxidize. However, it does contain nickel, so even though most of the stainless I use is surgical grade, it does cause problems for some people with nickel allergies. For the most part however it is a wonderful metal for all chainmaile, and jewelry made from it is that much more unique.
Composition: Iron (68%), carbon (<1%), Manganese (2%),
Silicon (<1%), Nickel (10%), Chromium (19%)
STERLING SILVER- What can I say, sterling silver is probably my favorite metal to work with. The color is a very light, almost white, silver, and makes some gorgeous jewelry. The sterling I use is 92.5% silver, and is half-hard tempered to make sure that is it strong. Sterling will tarnish more than fine silver, but it is easy to clean. I am starting to experiment with argentium sterling silver, which is supposed to take significantly longer to tarnish than normal sterling silver.
Composition: Silver (92.5%), Copper (7.5%)
TITANIUM- Titanium is an amazing metal that is just beginning to be utilized in the chainmaile and jewelry communities. Titanium is about half the weight of steel and almost as strong. The titanium I use varies depending on supply, however, it is always 90-100% titanium. The color is fairly similar to stainless steel, except that titanium tends to be a bit darken and sometimes has a hint of gold or tan in it. The light weight and durability make this a great metal for all forms of chainmaile, from armor to jewelry.
Composition: Titanium (100%) or Titanium (90%), Aluminum (6%), Vanadium (4%)
ANODIZED TITANIUM- Click Here for a larger picture. Anodized titanium is for those of you who love the strength and weight of titanium but just have to have color. The titanium is taken, cleaned, and bathed in an electrolyte solution while an electrical current is run through it. This creates a layer of oxide on the surface of the titanium, which changes the way it refracts the light. Depending on the voltage the thickness of this layer changes, producing colors ranging from gold to purple to blue, and even pink and a beautiful emerald green at higher voltages. The nice thing about this oxide is that it is actually harder than the titanium itself, making it difficult to scratch or wear off. I can anodize most titanium pieces to: blue, pink, purple, gold, or green.
I also offer some catalog and custom pieces in Flame Anodized titanium. This is similar to the above, however, instead of using an electrical current, I anodize it with the heat from a torch. This produces a fun range of colors, mostly tans, golds, purples, and blues. Flame anodized titanium is great for when you want a more unique and chaotic piece than you would get with electrically anodized titanium, or anodized aluminum. It is also a great deal of fun because you can get an entire spectrum of colors in a single ring. Click Here for a picture of a flame anodized titanium earring.
Composition: Titanium (96%), Aluminum (2%), Vanadium (2%)

* The % values in the compositions are approximations. Actual values may vary slightly.


When browsing through my site you will encounter chains and rings of a wide variety of sizes. This section is here to give you a better idea of just how large (or small) the pieces really are. My measurements tend to vary back and forth between Metric and English depending on common usage, so there is a conversion chart at the bottom of the section to allow for easy comparison. Please note that all my width measurements are approximate and will vary from metal to metal, with titanium, steel and other hard metals tending to run larger than sterling silver, copper, and other soft metals.

VERY FINE- When used in reference to a rope style weave, very fine chains are 2mm to 3mm in width. When used in reference to rings, it means they have an inner diameter of approximately 1/16".
FINE- When used in reference to a rope style weave, fine chains are 3mm to 4mm in width. When used in reference to rings, it means they have an inner diameter of approximately 3/32".
SMALL- When used in reference to a rope style weave, small chains are 4.5mm to 6mm in width. When used in reference to rings, it means they have an inner diameter of approximately 1/8".
MEDIUM- When used in reference to a rope style weave, medium chains are 6mm to 8mm in width. When used in reference to rings, it means they have an inner diameter of approximately 3/16"-1/4".
LARGE- When used in reference to a rope style weave, large chains are 8mm to 12mm in width. When used in reference to rings, it means they have an inner diameter of approximately 1/4"-5/16".
#/# ID- This refers to the inner diameter of the rings used. For example, rings described as 1/2" ID have an inner diameter of half an inch.

Conversion Table: mm to inches

mm

inches

inches

mm

inches

inches

1

0.0394

3/64

8

0.3150

5/16

2

0.0787

5/64

9

0.3543

23/64

3

0.1181

1/8

10

0.3937

13/32

4

0.1575

5/32

11

0.4331

7/16

5

0.1969

13/64

12

0.4724

15/32

6

0.2362

15/64

13

0.5118

33/64

7

0.2756

9/32

14

0.5512

9/16


As many of the pieces I make involve beads as well as chainmaile, this section is devoted to giving you a bit of information about my beads. The beads on this page tend to be my most popular ones, and the ones I have in stock most often. However, if you're interested in a piece using beads that are not listed on this page, feel free to contact me about it, I've used beads made from everything from riverstone to ruby, and may be able to find what you're looking for.

My beads are broken up into two categories. Category 1 is for beads 4-6mm in diameter, catagory 2 is for 8mm beads. Click Here for some fun gem lore, information, and pictures of the stones.


Catagory 1
Hematite
Howlite
Mother of Pearl
Rose Quartz
Snowflake Obsidian
 Carnelian
Tiger Eye
Goldstone
Blue Goldstone
Garnet
Rutilated Quartz
 Amethyst
Malachite
Labradorite
Turquoise
Lapis Lazuli
Iolite
Blue Topaz
Amber
Rainbow Moonstone

Catagory 2
Hematite
Howlite
Mother of Pearl
Rose Quartz
Snowflake Obsidian
Blue Goldstone
 Carnelian
Tiger Eye
Goldstone
Flourite
 Amethyst
Malachite
Turquoise
Lapis Lazuli
Amber

Findings
Bracelets • Wallet Chains • Pocket Watch Chains

Tie Chains • Earrings • Miscellaneous

This is a listing of the standard findings I make available for use on my ropes and chains. If you are interested in purchasing a chain but want a particular type of finding that is not on the list, feel free to contact me and I will do my best to accommodate your desire. I also have a pricelist for some of my findings when purchased without chains available here.

Bracelet and Necklace Findings
HOOK & EYE CLASP- The hook & eye clasp is a very simple clasp that is ideally suited for chainmail bracelets and necklaces. One side of the chain ends with the "eye" which is a loop or ring, and the other side ends with the "hook," which is a bent wire form that goes through the eye and connects the two ends of the chain. I make these myself to match the metal of the chain they are used on. The weight of the chain pulls the two sides of the clasp and keeps it from detaching.
LOBSTER CLAW CLASP- This name references an elongated clasp with a small trigger that, when pulled, opens up a gate that is used to hook the clasp to the other side of the chain. There are a number of subcatagoies of lobster claw clasps, including trigger clasps (short clasps with a large opening), figure eight clasps, and double tap lobster claws (very long with push button opening instead of triggers). I offer these clasps in many of the different metals that I use, and when I have multiple types of lobster claws in the right metal and size available I will choose the type that seems best suited to the chain, unless you have specified a preference. Lobster claws are very secure, but sometimes require assistance to put on if you do not have particularly dexterous hands.
20MM STAINLESS STEEL SNAP GATE- This 20mm stainless steel snap gate is my preferred finding for large and medium width stainless steel necklace and bracelet chains. The wire gate is made of spring tempered stainless steel, and when it is pressed in it opens up to allow the chain to be connected, then snaps shut until you apply pressure to the gate again. This makes the clasp very easy to use while being more secure than the hook & eye clasp, but less so than the lobster claws.
TOGGLE CLASP- The toggle clasp consists of two pieces, a ring and a bar. The ring is attached to one end of the chain, and the bar (which is longer than the diameter of the ring) is attached to the other. To clasp the chain you put the bar through the ring (narrow end first), and then turn it so that it cannot come back out. In general the toggle clasp will always be larger than the chain it is used on, creating a fairly unique look.
TUBE CLASP- The tube clasp allows multiple small ropes to be made insto a single bracelet or choker. Each chain is attached to one of the loops, with one side of the chain on each side of the clasp, and the two sides come apart and slide back allowing the chain to be put on and taken off.

Wallet Chain Findings
2" STAINLESS STEEL SNAP GATE- This 2" stainless steel snap gate is my preferred finding for large width stainless steel wallet chains. It easily snaps on to a belt loop, but stays secure because of the spring tempered stainless steel wire used for the gate. The size and shape also make it flow well with the chain.
1 3/8" STAINLESS STEEL SNAP GATE- This snap gate works identically to the above, but it is a bit smaller and I recommend it to go with my medium and small stainless steel chains.
20MM STAINLESS STEEL SNAP GATE- This small snap gate is not large enough to work well as the belt-end finding on a wallet chain. However, depending on the type of attachment you have on your wallet it can be an excellent alternative to my standard keyrings because it is a bit easier put on and take off.
2 1/2" BRONZE TRIGGER SNAP- This snap works the same as the above stainless steel version. I recommend it for large wallet chains made from either bronze or brass.
2" TITANIUM SNAP GATE- This 2" titanium snap gate is my preferred finding for titanium wallet chains. It works identically to the above 2" stainless steel snap gate.
2" STERLING SILVER SWIVEL SNAP GATE- This 2" sterling silver swivel snap gate is my preferred finding for large sterling silver wallet chains. They work similarly to the above stainless steel and titanium snap gates, but have a built in swiveling mechanism like the trigger snaps.
16MM STERLING SILVER THICK SPORT RING- This is currently my preferred finding for small and medium sterling silver wallet chains. It also works quite well on large wallet chains, and is significantly less expensive than the Sterling Snap Gate. The sport ring is a large ring with a gate in it that is opened by sliding a small trigger on the edge of the ring. Once opened the ring can easily be attached to a belt loop, or through a button loop. When you release the tigger a spring inside the ring will cause the gate to stay closed.
STERLING SILVER LOCKING KEYRING- The barrel on this finding unscrews to open up the loop, then screws tight again to close it, making it easy to secure the chain to your wallet.
26.5MM 18K. YELLOW GOLD & STEEL LOBSTER CLAW- This is currently my preferred finding for large yellow gold and all white gold wallet chains. Pulling on the trigger opens up the gate so that it can be attached to your belt loop. The steel accents the gold while providing strength, and the bottom swivels to keep your chain from getting tangled.
18MM 14K. YELLOW GOLD SPORT RING- This is currently my preferred finding for small and medium 14k. Yellow Gold Wallet Chains. The sport ring is a large ring with a gate in it that is opened by sliding a small trigger on the edge of the ring. Once opened the ring can easily be attached to a belt loop, or through a button loop. When you release the tigger a spring inside the ring will cause the gate to stay closed.
14K. YELLOW GOLD LOCKING KEYRING- The barrel on this finding unscrews to open up the loop, then screws tight again to close it, making it easy to secure the chain to your wallet.

Pocket Watch Chain Findings
SPORT RING- The sport ring is a large ring with a gate in it that is opened by sliding a small trigger on the edge of the ring. Once opened the ring can easily be attached to a belt loop, or through a button loop. When you release the tigger a spring inside the ring will cause the gate to stay closed.
T-BAR- This is the classic attachment for a pocket watch chain. You simply slip the narrow end of the bar through your button hole, turn the bar so that it catches, then button the vest and the bar will stay locked into position. Drop the watch into your vest pocket and you are good to go. Please note that I am now using t-bars that are larger than the one pictured and have straight ends. I have been looking at photos of pocket watches and chains from the early 20th century and the larger, straight-end t-bars appear to have been more common.
SWIVEL- This simple finding allows you to easily attach the chain to your pocket watch. One side of the loop has a spring-loaded gate that you simply snap onto the watch by applying a little pressure. The base swivels, keeping your chain from getting twisted.

Tie Chain Findings
BUTTON HANGER BACKING- This is probably the most common form of tie chain finding currently on the market, and I make this particular version myself. The bar is slightly shorter than the width of the tie, and the chain attaches to holes drilled at each end. The loop of the hanger then slips over a button to hold the chain in place, and the fact that the piece is one solid bar helps to make sure the tie stays flat and is held close to your shirt.
ALLIGATOR CLIP BACKING- This style of backing is made from an alligator clip tie bar. A hole is drilled in each end of the bar to attach the chain, and the bar is then cliped onto the shirt behind the tie, rather than onto it. The bar can then be cliped anywhere on your shirt's button-overlap, allowing you maximum versatility in the placement of your chain. Moreover, the solid bar helps make sure your tie stays flat and is held close to the shirt. This style of backing works well with any width chain.

Earrings Findings
EARWIRES- These are the simplest form of pierced ear findings I offer, and they are something that I am sure you are all familiar with. The earring attaches to the loop on one end of the wire, and the other end goes through the ear. I make most of my precious metal earwires myself, but the surgical steel and hypoallergenic titanium earwires are purchased.
EAR POSTS- This is another common form of earring finding. The earring is attached to the loop at the bottom of of the ball, and the back of the post goes through the ear and is locked in place by an "ear nut."
EAR BANDS/CUFFS- These findings are an option that I like to offer for people without pierced ears. Each band has a small hole in the bottom to which the earring is attached, and then the band is placed around the earlobe, allowing the earring to hang down.

Miscellaneous Findings
END LOOPS FOR EYEGLASS CHAINS- These simple rubber loops can be attached to each end of a chain to form an eyeglasses chain. The rubber loops simply slip over the ends of your glasses and the coil in the middle of the loop is pushed up to tighten the loop.
RING FOR TYING BELT- This is simply a large ring that is attached to one end of your belt chain so that you can tie a renaissance style belt.
SPLIT RING (KEYRING)- A standard keyring, this can be attached to a section of chainmail rope or other piece of chainmail in order to make a chainmail keychain.