How to Choose the Best Clasp for Your Project

When making handmade jewelry like bracelets and necklaces, how you finish them off with a clasp is probably one of the most important design choices that you'll make.

There's nothing more frustrating - or heartbreaking - then putting on a piece of handmade jewelry, only to discover that the clasp has failed and you (or your customer or friend) has lost the beautiful item that you worked so hard to make.

Just how important is choosing the right clasp for your project? Get in the old Wayback Machine with me and let's go back to 2003 when I owned a little fine craft boutique, and we would showcase the handmade jewelry of about a dozen local artists every month.

We developed a checklist of quality control points for potential jewelry artists to use when preparing their jewelry for us to review, and at the top of the list was closures and clasps.

So let's take a look at a few things to keep in mind when choosing your finishing touch for your handmade jewelry items:

The first thing to take into consideration is if the piece is a necklace or a bracelet.

Where is the piece being worn on the body? Jewelry that is worn on the wrist is subject to a whole different range of motion than jewelry worn around the neck.

Most people use their hands a lot throughout the day, and this means that the clasp you use for a bracelet needs to be very secure so that they don't lose their jewelry.

In contrast, necklaces usually get put on and stay in place all day without a lot of movement.

That said, you still want to ensure that the clasp you use on a necklace closes firmly and securely so the necklace doesn't fall off unexpectedly.

Is this piece heavy or light? Heavy pieces can sometimes be secured with something like a toggle clasp that doesn't have to click into place, or lock.

The weight of a heavier piece of jewelry is usually enough to hold that toggle clasp in place so that it doesn't fall off.

On the other hand, something like a simple strand of gemstone beads or a lightweight pendant on a fine chain would need something more secure like a lobster claw clasp to hold it in place and make sure that the piece doesn't fall off.

Most clasps can be secured to beading wire using crimp tubes, and these are generally the best way to attach a clasp to your beaded jewelry.

Using the right size crimp tube and a crimping pliers with your chosen clasp will ensure a secure finish.

For jewelry that is knotted or strung on silk cord, crimp tubes won't be the best choice because these can cut through the cord.

If you're looking to attach a clasp to a knotted pearl necklace or a strand of knotted gemstone beads, using a knot cover and proper knotting techniques to attach your clasp will be the best way to finish your jewelry.

In my mind, lobster claw clasps are kind of like the "gold standard" for finishing your jewelry.

If you get the right size and the best quality, these clasps have a very low "failure rate" when it comes to keeping your handmade jewelry secure.

They are widely available in a range of metals and are usually relatively inexpensive.

However secure they are for both necklaces and bracelets, most lobster claw clasps aren't very decorative and don't add much in terms of visual appeal to your designs.

They aren't generally used as a design element, and can be kind of boring.

In addition, they can be tricky to secure when used for bracelets, especially for folks who have difficulty using their hands and fingers.

These clasps are my personal favorite for multi-strand necklaces and bracelets. I've used them successfully with both heavier and lighter weight designs, and just like the lobster claw clasps, they come in a wide range of colors and configurations.

One of the best advantages of using these types of clasps for multi-strand designs is that they keep your strands from getting all tangled up in each other.

Another bonus is that they're relatively easy to use for multi-strand bracelets, and just require a gentle push to secure.

But again, just like the lobster claw clasps, most slide lock clasps are just kind of boring to look at visually. While they definitely have their place and purpose for keeping your jewelry designs neat, tidy, and secure, they don't add a lot of excitement to your jewelry design.

Toggles are a big favorite of mine for finishing necklaces and bracelets.

You can find toggle clasps in all kinds of metals and finishes, and many of them are absolutely gorgeous to look at.

You can even design a necklace around a highly decorative toggle clasp as a design element, and toggle clasps are easily found and available everywhere that you can find beads and jewelry making supplies.

Toggle clasps are also relatively easy to use with just one hand, so they're good for finishing bracelets.

But when it comes to the weight of a piece, you'll want to make sure that you're using a toggle clasp on a heavier piece of jewelry.

Putting a toggle clasp on a lightweight chain or delicate strand of beads isn't necessarily going to hold that piece of jewelry securely.

So go for the funky toggles when you have a big, bold, mid-to-heavy weight piece of jewelry to finish.

Tab clasps are another favorite of mine for finishing jewelry.

A good, high-quality tab clasp can be set with a gemstone or a vintage piece of glass or vintage cabochon, or they can be made with intricate metalwork.

Many tab clasps come in multi-strand options, so just like the slide lock clasps, these are great for keeping multiple strands neat and orderly.

And just like the toggle clasps, these can be used as design elements or even focal elements for your beaded jewelry designs.

Using tab clasps on your jewelry is generally best for necklaces.

The way these clasps are designed, they really need two hands to be secured, or at the very least, good hand and finger dexterity to fasten them with one hand.

When it comes to getting back to basics, you can't get more basic than a simple, elegant hook and eye clasp.

I personally love using hook and eye clasps for a lot of my wire jewelry pieces because you can easily whip one up out of whatever copper wire you have handy.

They're simple and easy to use, and can work just as well for lightweight pieces as they do for heavier pieces.

The downside to using a hook and eye closure is that they aren't the best choice for bracelets, and they generally require the use of both hands for a necklace.

You'll also want to make sure that you have the right size for your jewelry - using a hook and eye clasp that is too small on a larger beaded necklace can mean that the clasp gets "lots" in the necklace and makes it harder to fasten and unfasten.

For a while, magnetic clasps were the best thing since sliced bread in the jewelry making world, and they certainly do still have their place.

Magnetic clasps use super-strong rare earth magnets to form a secure, easy-to-do closure for necklaces and bracelets.

While the first magnetic clasps were sort of plain looking (they resembled tiny watch batteries), they certainly did the job for lightweight bracelets and necklaces and were super easy for folks who struggle with hand and finger dexterity.

That said, manufacturers of magnetic clasps started coming up with some pretty gorgeous designs that definitely added visual interest to the jewelry that they were being used for, and you can still find some beautiful magnetic clasps out there.

One of the drawbacks of the magnetic clasps is that the magnets can sometimes be a little too strong - anyone who has ever found their bracelet suddenly attached to their grocery store shopping cart knows what I'm talking about.

This also means that if your design is too heavy, and the magnet not strong enough, the clasp can come undone when you least expect it.

Another issue with some of the magnetic clasps is if the magnet is not glued in place properly (as sometimes happens with lower quality magnetic clasps), eventually the magnet can be pulled out of the clasp and the piece will fall apart.

Finally, certain folks with pacemakers or other implanted medical devices should avoid wearing jewelry with a magnetic clasp on it, because these can interfere with the function of some medical devices.