There are loads of different types of clasps out there, one to suit every jewellery piece, one for every occasion and one for every wrist. Some can be harder to work than others, while some have benefits that you may not have thought of before. It can be important to choose the right clasp, especially for custom pieces, so in this series of posts I will be giving you a Moderately Advanced Deep Dive Into Clasps and Their Uses, Benefits and Pitfalls.
Phew. That’s quite the title. How about we just call it Know Your Clasps!
Lobster Clasps
The lobster clasp, also known as a lobster claw clasp, is named after its shape. It’s a rounded “hook” shape with a movable lever on one side that corresponds to a locking lever on the other. It comes in all kinds of sizes, from so tiny you can barely work it even with super fine motor control, all the way up to the ones you see on lanyards and the like. They all function the same way, with the levers being the only moving parts.
Benefits
– Secure
The main benefit of a lobster clasp is that it’s very secure. The hook shape with the closed lever isn’t going to let go of the closure any time soon, so unless you catch it on something and something in the clasp breaks then you should be fine and will come home with your jewellery still intact and in the same place.
– Easy to figure out
Larger lobster clasps are easy to work because the levers scale with the clasp. Most of us have used a lanyard, so we have used the mechanism and know roughly how it works. On large clasps the lever is nice and graspable for most thumbs and there’s little trouble getting the open hook onto the ring or loop you’re trying to catch.
– Availability
Lobster clasps also come in most kinds of metal – the ones I use for my pieces are generally stainless (surgical) steel, apart from certain titanium pieces where I’ll invest in titanium lobster clasps too.
Downsides
-Can be fiddly
Small lobster clasps can be hard to work even with fully functioning hands, especially when you’re trying to put a bracelet on your own wrist. Even for me personally, the smallest lobster clasp I use on my own pieces is the 9mm size and that’s a pain for me. Even 12mm ones, which are the next main size up and are starting to make their presence known on a piece, can slip out of your one-handed grasp and be hard to get in place. If you have trouble with fine motor control it may be easier to get someone else to fasten the bracelet altogether.
In the next post in this series I will be looking at Toggle Clasps. Follow my Facebook Page – Destai Designs & Entangled – for updates about new blog posts as well as loads of other good stuff.
I hope this has been informative and an interesting read. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll get back to you soon. If you’re thinking of ordering, custom or not, head on over to the Custom Order page or the Shop respectively.
Much love to all, and Be Proud. Be You.
