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Bead Ring or Attached Bead Ring

Another basic ring design is the bead ring. The bead is fixed to one end of the ring with a hole drilled into the other side of the bead to receive the other end of the ring. The disadvantage of the bead ring is that it must be torqued / twisted sideways to open and close. If the ring is opened and closed frequently it can eventually acquire a warped shape or break, particularly if the ring is not annealed.

Gold rings are often made as bead rings to prevent losing the expensive gold bead.

Attention should be paid to the method by which the bead is affixed to the ring (also applicable to nostril screw construction). At the present time, there is no guaranteed permanent method of bonding steel to steel for body jewelry applications. Some manufacturers use soldering/brazing compounds of a gold alloy which may not be suitable for people sensitive to the high amount of alloys found in the solder, especially if solder residues are present beyond the joint. A soldered joint is weak, especially when metals are mixed, for example using karat gold solder to join surgical steel. The acids in bodily secretions will penetrate any gaps in the joint and break down the alloys in the solder, weakening the joint; over time, the joint may come apart. Other manufacturers thread the bead and ring, using a thread-locking compound or epoxy to fix the bead. Some of these compounds are not heat resistant and may weaken when autoclaved.