Glossary of Chain/Scale Mail Terms
Term	Meaning
AR (Aspect Ratio)	The ratio between a ring’s inside diameter (ID) and its wire diameter (WD). Formula: AR = ID ÷ WD. The number used for determining whether a weave will work.
Closed Ring	A jump ring whose ends have been brought together so the cut ends meet.
Open Ring	A jump ring opened sideways and ready to be connected to other rings.
Jump Ring	A ring made from wire, normally cut from a coil.
ID (Inside Diameter)	The inside measurement of ring diameter. Commonly specified in fractions such as 1/4", 5/16", and 3/8".
OD (Outside Diameter)	The total outside diameter of a ring, including the wire itself. Approximately ID + (2 × wire diameter).
WD (Wire Diameter)	The thickness of the wire used to make the ring.
Gauge	A system for describing wire thickness, such as 14g, 16g, 18g, or 20g. Gauge must be used carefully because AWG and SWG are different standards.
AWG	American Wire Gauge. One standard used to specify wire diameter.
SWG	Standard Wire Gauge. A different gauge system from AWG. A 16g SWG wire, for example, is not the same diameter as 16g AWG.
Ring Size	Usually shown as a combination of wire gauge and inside diameter, such as 16g 5/16".
Coil	Wire wrapped around a mandrel to form a continuous spring before being cut into individual rings.
Mandrel	A rod around which wire is wound to make rings.
Springback	The tendency of wire to expand slightly after being wound around a mandrel.
Kerf or Gap	The gap left by the cutting blade when a coil is cut into rings.
Saw-Cut Ring	A ring cut with a saw, producing relatively flat, clean ends that can close tightly.
Pinch-Cut Ring or Machine Cut	A ring cut with cutters that pinch through the wire, typically leaving one pointed or angled end and one indented end.
Butted Ring	A ring whose ends meet but are not welded, riveted, or soldered together.
Welded Ring	A ring whose ends have been permanently welded together.
Riveted Ring	A ring whose overlapping ends are joined with a rivet.
Solid Ring or Washer	A closed ring made without an opening, often stamped or punched from sheet metal.
Link	Another term for an individual ring, or to join 2 rings together.
Weave	The pattern in which rings are interconnected.
Unit	A small repeating section of a weave. Several units are connected to create a chain or sheet.
Connection	The point or method by which one ring passes through or joins other rings.
Through-the-Eye	Passing a ring through the opening or "eye" formed by two or more previously connected rings.
Captive Ring	A ring held physically inside a weave by surrounding rings rather than being directly linked through all of them.
Orbital Ring	A ring that encircles a connection between other rings without necessarily passing directly through those rings.
Mobius	A group of rings where each successive ring passes through all the previous rings, producing a spiral/rosette-like structure.
Sheet Weave	A weave designed to expand in two dimensions to form fabric-like sheets.
Chain Weave	A weave primarily constructed as a narrow linear chain.
Expansion	A technique for increasing the number of rings or units in a row so a sheet becomes wider.
Contraction	The opposite of an expansion—reducing the number of rings or units to narrow the weave.
Seam	The location where two edges or sections of chainmail are joined together.
Row	A line of rings within a sheet weave.
Column	A line of rings running in the other direction through a sheet.
Ring Orientation	The direction or angle at which a ring sits within the weave.
Minimum AR	Approximately the smallest AR at which a weave can physically be constructed.
Ideal AR	An AR that provides a desirable balance of appearance, flexibility, stability, and ease of weaving for a particular pattern.
Scalemail / Scale Mail	Construction combining scales with rings. Rings connect overlapping scales to form flexible sheets.
Scale	A flat metal or other component with a hole used as the overlapping surface in scalemail.
Connector Ring	A ring whose main purpose is to connect scales, components, or sections of a weave.
Inlay	A picture, lettering, logo, or design created by using different colored rings within a sheet of chainmail.
Speed Weaving	A construction technique where some rings are closed ahead of time and open rings are used to connect groups efficiently.
Pre-Closing	Closing a quantity of rings before beginning the weave.
Ring Count	The number of rings required for a finished project, section, row, or column.
Clasp	Hardware used to open and close a finished chainmail jewelry piece.
Finding	General jewelry-making hardware such as clasps, ear wires, pins, connectors, and bails.