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.
In this part of Know Your Clasps I’ll be taking a closer look at the Toggle Clasp.
Toggle Clasps
The toggle clasp has two pieces, one for each side of the jewellery piece that needs to be fastened. This clasp is best for bracelets or anklets as it needs a certain amount of tension to stay together. The two pieces are one big ring attached to one side, and a toggle bar on a thin chain attached on the other side. It works by pushing the bar through the ring and then letting it go horizontal so it doesn’t come back out without help.
Benefits
-Ease of use
The toggle clasp is a relatively easy to work clasp as long as it’s been attached correctly. The bar needs to have a small amount of thin chain attached before it meets the main jewellery piece, as otherwise it’s difficult to make it go all the way through the ring. The bar goes parallel with the thin chain as it goes through the ring, then goes to a right angle against the chain once it’s through. The bar is wider than the ring’s diameter, which keeps it nice and secure.
-Secure
And speaking of security, this is a very secure clasp as long as it has a bit of tension pulling on both ends. It takes a lot to make the bar go sideways so it slips out of the ring, sometimes even when you’re doing it deliberately to take the piece off your body!
Downsides
-Requires some dexterity in your fingers
When closing this clasp, especially on a bracelet, you need enough dexterity in your fingers to hold the bar in the right position and simultaneously hold the ring in place so you can fit the bar through it. It can take some practice to get this right, and it’s also not very friendly to certain disabilities because of this.
-Without tension it can open on its own
Most of the time this won’t be an issue at all, however it has happened to me in the past and so I want to mention it for informational purposes at least. If the tension is too loose, or the clasp is attached wrong to the piece of jewellery, it’s possible for the bar to sneak through the ring and the clasp to come open. This is very rare, I want to stress, and not something you should worry about unless you’ve already caught your piece in the process of coming undone.
In the next post in this series I will be looking at Shackle 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.
