People who works together jewelry supplies and beading projects may forget that not everybody knows all of the terminology of jewelry making components. Learning the terminology of jewellery-making supplies will allow you to to communicate your desires for jewelry components to your lobster claw clasp local bead store, your jewelry designer or your jewelry supply vendor. Handmade artisan jewelry, mass-market costume jewelry and fine jewelry frequently uses lobster claw clasps to fasten jewelry and to improve jewelry appearance.
" Lobster claw" is a term often used generically for a family group of clasps having triggers that open and close. Lobster claw clasps primarily hold two ends of a jewelry piece together by locking the clasp trigger around a jump ring or via a link of chain on the opposite end of a necklace, bracelet or anklet. Some jewelry makers uses lobster claw clasps to install charms or, if the lobster claw has a fancier design, to behave as an aesthetic centerpiece in leading of a necklace.
Jewelry purists will show you that lobster claw clasps have long, straight oval shapes. Pelican clasps, specialty trigger clasps, are curved specialty trigger clasps with the trigger on the outer convex surface. More symmetrical teardrop shapes describe oval trigger or rounded trigger clasps. Balloon clasps, with an extended oval shape and thinner construction, often require less metal when compared to a traditional oval trigger clasp ; therefore, balloon clasps will weigh less when compared to a similarly sized lobster claw or trigger clasp. Other specialty clasp shapes include heart trigger clasps, elephant trigger clasps and cat trigger clasps. lobster claw finding Swivel clasps, a design of oval trigger clasp where the beds base rotates separately from the remaining portion of the claw , may provide the wearer more comfort giving another "degree of freedom" to the bracelet, necklace or anklet.
Precious metal jewelry clasps in the United States must carry quality stamps to indicate their precious metal content per Federal Trade Commission guidelines. Lobster claw metal type will generally match a dominant metal in the jewelry piece. Lobster claw materials in the United States will usually fall into these categories:
Some designers and consumers consider lobster claws as less stylish than toggles. However, lobster claw clasps usually offer more secure fastening than do toggles because toggle bars may slip out of the loops, even though the pieces are appropriately sized to the wearers. The most typical flaws of lobster claws, more common with inexpensive costume jewelry clasps, are:
