at Hartbeespoortdam  74 Scott str, tel 012 2531396

Clasps are an integral part of jewellery making. In their simplest and most practical form clasps are simply to join two ends of a necklace or bracelet together easily for the wearer so they can take the jewellery on & off smoothly.

However, for the more imaginative there is an endless availability of decorative clasps which can be used to enhance the jewellery.

Whether you are choosing your clasp for functionality or for design, it is important to know what is available & what would work best for the intended purpose.

The simplest clasp available is the “S” clasp. The S Clasp gets its name from its appearance. It is an almost closed “S” shape, almost a figure of 8.

This allows for each end of the jewellery string to end on a ring & for each ring to be threaded onto one side of the S. As the “S” is nearly closed, the jewellery should not fall off easily.

This clasp comes in a plain style, but is also available with embelished designs. Silver Hills does not currently stock the S clasp, but it is something we are seriously looking into.

Another simple clasp is the barrel clasp. Often barrel like in shape they consist of two halves which you screw together to secure, and unscrew to release.

 

These are mostly found on anklets as they are quite tricky to do up on bracelets & necklaces by yourself!

The two most common clasps found on jewellery (particularly mass produced jewellery) are the spring ring & lobster claw.

The main part of the spring ring is circular. 

It has a small immobile loop attached to the outside of the circle for affixing to one end of the jewellery.

Opposite this is small section that you can draw back with a little lever to open a break in the main circle.

Then a jump ring or other ring (often provided with the clasp) attached to the opposite end of the jewellery string can be inserted into the main circle.

Then the small movable section slides back into place when the lever is released & the necklace or bracelet is securely fastened.

There is a small spring within the circle that keeps the sliding section closed unless the lever is drawn back.

A subsiduary of the spring ring is the Signoretti Clasp. This is a clasp stocked at Silver Hills. This clasp works the same as the simple spring ring.

The difference is that it is divided by three bands into three sections. The loop that you thread your jewellery through is free & able to move around its section of the main clasp ring, as is the opposite loop.

The last section is simply for the lever that pulls back the opening. The opening / closing of the sliding section allows for the opening / closing of the jewellery, as with the spring ring.

The signoretti clasp also seems to be thicker & larger than the standard spring ring. It is made to be seen, as opposed to the discreet spring ring.

The Lobster Claw Clasp is named for its resemblance to a lobster claw. It has a small loop at the one end for attaching to your jewellery string, and another larger loop at the opposite end. This loop has a lever, which when pressed pulls back a section (arm) of the loop (in the manner of a door opening) for you to insert the secure loop from the other end of your jewellery string. When you release the lever the arm will go back into the closed position and your jewellery is secure. As with the spring ring it also has an internal spring to keep the opening closed unless the lever is pulled back. Lobster clasps are often a little easier to use than spring rings, particularly the smaller ones!

Decorative clasps often used as part of jewellery design are Box clasps and Bar & Toggle clasps. Though these too can be made plainly so they do not detract from the overall jewellery design, there is more scope to make them fancier & more detailed.

Box Clasps are in their simplest form, a box with a ring for attaching to jewellery at one end, and an opening on the opposite end. The second part, which is attached to the other end of the jewellery is almost V shaped. The open end is inserted into the gap in the box & locks into place there. To release the V & open your necklace/bracelet, you squeeze the two tips of the V together & pull it out gently. Box clasps can be made highly decorative & used in jewellery design, not just as a fastener at the back of the jewellery. Box clasps also come with a various numbers of rings for attaching strings. Some will accommodate the classic single string, but others can hold many more, our website has box clasps for one, two or three strings.

Another decorative clasp is the Bar & Toggle clasp. This clasp is easy to use. It is simply a circlet that attaches to one end of your jeweller & a bar that attaches to the other end, at right angles to the direction of the string. The bar is passed through the circlet to close the jewellery. These clasps can be simple & discreet, but are usually larger & decorative.

They can be used on a single string as a simple / decorative fastener, or they can be used cleverly to help the deign. For instance, you can have jewellery with multiple sections that can be mixed & matched together. You can join two or more bar & toggle bracelets to create a necklace. You could have multiple toggles through the one ring, so your design can go from one string (perhaps worn at the back of the neck) into multiple strings (perhaps to hang at the front). The bar & toggle clasp provides your work with the option for real versitility.

Lastly, we also supply Magnetic Clasps on our website. These are the simplest of all clasps to use, just touch the two ends together & the clasp is fastened. Grip & pull them apart with sufficient force & the clasp is opened. The disadvantage is the magnetic force may fade, particularly if the jewellery is dropped, and that the design cannot be a heavy one as the clasp may come undone.

Clasps come in a variety of materials. The best & most lasting materials are gold and silver. These are strong & durable & their quality will not degrade as steeply over time as cheaper metals. They are also best for humid areas like the coast, where cheaper clasps really erode quickly. If given the choice, you would always choose clasps of this material. However the reality is that gold and silver can be expensive & other cheaper materials are available. They are just as attractive as the gold and silver & often made to look just like them.

A range of gold & silver clasps are available on our website in the “925 Silver Findings” category. Clasps just as beautifully crafted in different materials are available in our “Clasps” category.