Rivets are a mechanical connection used in jewellery making to join parts within a design.

Also referred to as a 'cold connection', riveting is a way of connecting (or joining) parts of your jewellery designs without the use of heat. This method relies on the flared heads of the rivet to hold parts together.

Rivets are not only used in jewellery making, but across many types of construction. From their use in boat building throughout history, for holding your jeans together, to the Sydney Harbour Bridge (with 6 million rivets!) and numerous other places, this simple yet ingenious fastener is commonplace in the world around us.

The simplest type of rivet we use in jewellery making is the basic rivet. This rivet is made using round wire inserted into a hole exactly the same diameter. For example, a 1.5mm wire is inserted into a 1.5mm hole drilled with a 1.5mm drill bit. This ensures a good tight fit of the rivet wire inside the hole drilled into the materials to be riveted together.

The two ends of the riveting wire are made larger and more flared through the riveting process which creates the rivet 'heads'. Once there is a rivet head on either side of the materials being joined, the riveting wire can no longer be removed and a successful rivet has been created.

How to create a Basic Rivet

Tools needed:

• ball pein or riveting hammer
• wire material
• side cutters
• permanent marker
• flat file
• drill bit the same size as wire material (or use a smaller drill bit and you can file the hole larger until the rivet wire fits)
• drill press (safety induction needs to have been completed first)
• centre punch
• steel plate
• materials to be riveted
• masking tape

Steps for riveting:

• Use masking tape to securely and tightly tape the parts to be riveted together
• Centre punch a guide mark where you want to install the rivet
• Using a drill bit as close as possible in size to your rivet material, drill a hole using the centre punch guide
• Place a length of rivet wire into the hole, and adjust the position so that approx 1mm of wire extends from one side of the materials, then, mark the other end of the wire at a little over 1mm length
• Cut the marked wire with the side cutters
• Working carefully so as not to mark the workpiece, file both ends of the wire square
• You should now have a neat wire extension of 1mm length on each sides of the workpiece
• Carefully hold the workpiece above the steel plate so that the rivet wire on one side is resting on the steel plate surface
• Hammer the wire which is extending up from the workpiece using a "push/pull" action on the end of the wire so that the tip of the wire begins to flare. Only hit the wire a handful of times before flipping the workpiece so that the wire which was supported by the steel plate is now accessible for hammering
• Adjust the placement of the wire as needed so that there is even length on both sides
• Continue flaring the wire material into a rivet head through the hammering process, regularly flipping the workpiece to equally access the wires on both sides
• Continue until both ends of the wire are flared into a rivet head and a basic rivet is formed

Once a good size rivet head is created on both sides you may like to use the flat face of the hammer to further compress the rivet heads to be tight with the materials being riveted

Remember, Jewellery Technicians, are always available to assist you around the studio or in the Jewellery Toolroom. Don't hesitate to ask for help or ask questions as you get the hang of new processes in the jewellery studio!