It sounds long and scarry... But it is a join done with the shuttle thread, just a lok join, since all rings are worked with only one shuttle. In the old patterns, before Ann Orr taught us to work a split chain (1916) you find this chain of rings with some bare thread behind. Today we would work this with 2 shuttles and make split rings.
But going back to the roots, can help. You love beads? Any bare thread can carry beads and this piece is no exception. Nina Libin is also using is. I also like the pulled loop join because it allows you to pass at the top of a ring with a neat effect and, since it is a single shuttle technique witl the beads on it, this makes the project really "portable".
In this piece from the pìcture there are 2 little technical details: the pulled loop join and the horizontal ring. I call it collar ring because of the appearance. Have no idea if it has a name, this little fellow. 
Thred the desired beads on the shuttle thread and work trefoil. My case 5-5-5-5 (I worked with Sunlight 40 and 3 mm coral beads). Go back to the middle ring of the trefoil (make a join), take 1 bead and place it behind your work, pull the thread and make the lock join carefully. Done.
Help for it here (Karen Cabrera, of course):
I used this for a bracelet and I also made another round and used also the outer picots.
