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There’s no doubt that in a lot of handmade jewellery styles, the clasp is the most important part of the necklace. It is the piece that keeps everything around the neck or wrist, finishing the item and can even be a part of the design.
When you are shopping for handmade jewellery, you will often hear terms such as lobster or toggle clasps – but what do these mean? Here’s our handy guide to clasps so you can shop with knowledge.
Table of Contents
Spring ring clasps
The spring ring is one of the most basic types of clasp in the business and is a simple ring of metal with a little lever on one side. Pull back the level and the smaller part of the ring vanishes into the larger part, allowing the other side of the clasp to slide into it. Often this type of clasp is paired with a special little tab but can also work just as well with a ring.
The biggest problem with this clasp is that it can be fiddly to use. The rings tend to be small and therefore the lever is even smaller. The spring inside needs to have plenty of tension to work but the whole thing can result in a slightly tricky process to put on a necklace and sometimes even more with a bracelet!
Lobster clasps
Lobster clasps take the idea of the spring ring clasp and add a little more to them. Rather than a ring, these use a lobster claw-shaped metal area with a small level on the opposite side of the opening. When the lever is pulled down, the clasp opens and can be slipped onto a ring.
We use these clasps in a lot of finer necklace and bracelet styles and they are available in several different sizes, from small bracelet ones up to 14mm larger necklace varieties.
Because there is a level, these clasps can still be a little harder to work with if you have joint problems or just aren’t good with fiddly little tasks. With our jewellery, if you don’t like these clasps, we can easily substitute to a toggle clasp for ease of use.
Barrel clasps
The barrel clasp is often used on necklaces and looks like a small barrel with lines across the middle. You turn one half to unscrew it and to release the piece to put it on then rescrew it together to close the piece around your neck or wrist. They can be a little more decorative than other styles and come in a variety of sizes.
Personally, I’ve never been a fan of barrel clasps – big fingers make them hard work! They can be easier to use than some smaller spring ring or lobster clasp but can still be tricky if you haven’t the best dexterity. You do need two hands to work with it so can be a little hard work on bracelets.
Toggle clasps
Toggle clasps are the other main type of clasp that we use and there are two main reasons for this – first, they are easy for people to use when wearing the jewellery and second, there are hundreds of styles. In fact, we sometimes even use the toggle clasp as a feature on the piece, able to be worn at the front of a necklace as well as at the back.
Toggle clasps come in two parts – a round or shaped area with a hole in the centre and a long bar or T-shaped piece. The bar slides lengthways through the ring then turns to cross it and keep the necklace closed.
They are also good with heavier pieces of jewellery as the weight of the piece keeps them bar in place, although you can get smaller, finer toggles for smaller, finer pieces.
S-hook clasps
S-hook clasps are said to be one of the oldest styles of the clasp and can be very attractive. The clasp forms a simple S-shape and can hook onto a ring on the other side of the piece. They are popular for wire wrapping and metal work pieces as they can be made by hand to perfectly match with the rest of the piece.
When wearing a piece with one, make sure that the S-shape is deep enough to keep the necklace closed and look for ones with some kind of curl or stopper on the end of the ‘s’ so that they don’t catch on your clothes or scratch your neck.
Fish hook clasps
These are similar to an S-hook clasp but have a straighter look to them rather than the curves of an s-shape. The hook slides into a box, usually oval in shape and often decorated to make the clasp look less obvious. Usually, they open by pinching the side of the clasp to unlock the fish hook. This motion can make them a little tricky to use for some people. Another variation of this style is known as a box clasp and uses a square box to hide the hook.
Magnetic clasps
Magnetic clasps are more a description than a style as there are lots of different looks to these clasps. The main concept is that there is a magnet in each half and when they are close enough together, they clamp to one another and stay there. You can get elaborate and very attractive versions.
The only real problem with them can be if you snag the piece on something and there is enough force on it to break the magnetic lock and allow the piece the fall. But you would probably feel the pulling sensation first anyway.
Slide lock clasps
This type of clasp works with a magnet in most cases and are specifically made for multi-strand bracelets or necklaces with two or more rings on each side of the clasp. Each side has a tube with a stopper and they slip into each other using a magnet to lock them in place. They look great and just need a good tug to pull them apart to remove the piece.
A clasp for every project
There’s no shortage of different types of necklace clasp to choose from, many of which work well for bracelets and anklets as well. Just think about the ease of use for your customer or yourself when you choose – and what looks right with your piece!
