6 Must-Know Wire Clasps for Custom Jewelry Findings

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Your comments on posts are dear to me, because I always learn from them—whether it’s a specific jewelry-making tip or skill, a great resource for jewelry supplies, or just fun, unique glimpses into who you are. From a reader’s posts on Jewelry Making Daily’s Facebook page, I learned some inspiring ear wire designs that help add a little extra creativity to my own earring projects, all of which I enjoyed sharing with you in part one of Make Custom Jewelry Findings, along with some examples from the Handcrafted Wire Findings book by Denise Peck and Jane Dickerson.

From that blog, I learned another important fact: ear wires are HOT! Or maybe it’s the make-your-own-custom-jewelry-findings idea that attracted you; either way, that blog post was our second-most popular one ever. (Any guesses on what number one is?)

More often than not, I like more of a good thing, so here’s part two—this time, inspiring handcrafted wire clasp designs to add a little something extra to your bracelet and necklace designs.

When I found this big silver hook, I knew it needed to be on my big and bold turquoise chunk necklace for Southern Baubelles. A simple loop of turquoise beads turned the hook into a hook-and-eye clasp.

Wire Clasp Styles: Hook and Hook-and-Eye Clasps, Toggle Clasps, and S-Hooks

Much like with ear wires, you might think there are only so many ways you can make a clasp out of wire. After all, there are S-hook clasps (the easiest clasp to use), hook or hook-and-eye clasps (also very easy), and toggle clasps (just a ring and a bar on a chain!)—that’s about it. But inspired shapes and styles of those wire hook and toggle clasps make them stand out and get noticed. Denise and Jane created over a dozen unique clasp designs for Handcrafted Wire Findings, such as these six:

Asian Toggle Clasp

Balled-End Hook-and-Eye Clasp

Hammered Toggle Clasp

S-Hook Clasp with Bead

Vine Hook Clasp

Lashed Toggle Clasp

Handcrafted Details: Textures, Alternative Metals, and Wire Clasp Embellishments

Another key to variety and artisan style in handmade wire clasps (as well as other handcrafted wire jewelry findings) is in the little added details: twisted or square wires, flattened or balled ends, stamped or hammered textures, mixed metals, and embellishments. Here are some examples of wire details to add even more variety and handcrafted feel to your wire clasps:

Balled or Flattened Ends

Beaded

Stamped

Twisted Wire-Wrapped

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Armed with more than a dozen of Denise and Jane’s handcrafted wire clasps (not to mention dozens of other unique wire findings, such as ear wires and wire link components) and a cache of ideas for further embellishments and details, your handcrafted wire findings possibilities are endless! So order your copy of Handcrafted Wire Findings: Techniques and Designs for Custom Jewelry Components and get started right away—you’ve got a lot of creating to do!