Searching for clasps

[thysa]

Dear lovely pearl lovers,

Could you please give me some advice on where I can find nice pearl clasps? New or Old doesn't matter. I searched Etsy and Ebay with no luck. Those on Bellafindings seem generic.

Thank you very much in advance.

[Pearl Dreams]

Have you tried Rio Grande?

Another source, definitely not generic: http://kimariedesigns.com/default.ph...6uqtroun6fuss0

[linda.wald]

Hello and welcome!

I am a bit confused -- do you mean clasps with pearls in them, or nice clasps for strands of pearls, or both? I got the clasp for these pearls on ebay:
ssp_sapphire_strand.jpg
you have to do a lot of hunting around

[Charlotta]

Linda is so right about having to hunt around alot, especially for vintage clasps. I have had a saved search, with some filters, on ebay for around 10 years. If I don't check it every day the list is endless. Once in a while I found something interesting. But since I found the clasps I know use on everything from Beadsfeeder on etsy, I have stopped looking for vintage clasps. They are gorgeous for sure, but don't link well. Most pearlsuppliers have clasps as well. I have bought some from Wendy at Pearlescence, and have gotten some really fun ones from her on already strung strands, I now she has sterling silver ones and vermeil ones. She might have gold ones as well, but not listed. You could mail her and ask. And since she is i europe there is no nickel in her findings, great for me or I get nasty rashes. But I agree upon most findingsstores having the most boring clasps, I have searched alot before finding the ones I like.

[BWeaves]

I find I prefer orbit clasps for most of my pearl necklaces, because I can link them together, and they are easy to use and secure. But I do love a pretty clasp. American Pearl has a large selection of fancy clasps, with prices to match.

[thysa]

Thank you so much everyone for your input, I really appreciate it. It seems like I should hunt around for a while, particularly it is hard to get the item shipped to NZ . I am allergic to nickel as well, so sterling silver or at least gold-filled if not gold is what I need. I will check on AP and Pearlescence and Kimariedesign, etc. that were mentioned. Many thanks again.

[Katbran]

You can look at RegentCo in Australia... nothing exciting but it's closer

Stuller has an excellent range - America

[pattye]

Another clasp source for sterling silver clasps with gemstones is New World Gems. They are on etsy and also web. They do have lovely gemstone strands, sometimes in 18 inch lengths. They often provide the provenance for the gems, which I find interesting.

Their dot-com website has a return policy listed, but I couldn't find one for their etsy store. This is why I've hesitated to recommend them in the past. I am going to contact Leslie and suggest they add it to the etsy store.

[Pearl Dreams]

Some years ago I used a kyanite box clasp to finish a kyanite necklace (6mm round beads-- not terribly heavy). I soon discovered it needed a safety chain as the clasp tends to open on its own. Silver being relatively soft, the tongue of the clasp doesn't retain its springiness for very long. I often find my necklace is only being held on my neck by the safety chain!

Then I widen the fold of the tongue manually to make the clasp tight again, but it never lasts.

[Parrot Lady]

I’ve had problems in the past few months with the silver orbit clasps from Rio not being reliable. Some haven’t closed neatly and scratch my neck, others open up. The Tahitians I wore today almost fell in the toilet but I was quick and caught them between my knees. :-) The clasp was wide open.

[pattye]

Yikes, that's not good, Parrot Lady. I've had to return a few to Rio myself. The ones in use seem to be holding up well, however.

PD, agreed, silver is softer than karat gold. I mostly wear white metal, so silver is a better value for me. Being able to link up the Orbit clasps or add a pendant makes them a great choice. Glad you didn't lose the Kyanite necklace; the chain sounds helpful, but maybe it's time for a whole new clasp? (Like you need another project, ha.)

[thysa]

@Pattye: I just had a look at New World Gems and they indeed have some fancy ones, thanks a lot.

[Lilpearl]

Hello ladies, I’m looking for 14 or 18k large orbit clasps and the only place where I’ve seen them is in Rio Grandes website, however, y read here that they’re not as good lately. Do you have any other recommendations where can I find these type of clasps?

[la_corsetiere]

thysa, if you want something artsy in sterling, Green Girl Studios has some pretty options (found on their website, greengirlstudios.com). Not specifically designed for pearls, but versatile; I used one in shibuishi for a bracelet.

[pattye]

Hello ladies, I’m looking for 14 or 18k large orbit clasps and the only place where I’ve seen them is in Rio Grande's website, however, y read here that they’re not as good lately. Do you have any other recommendations where can I find these type of clasps?

Recently I used the 14k Orbit clasps from Rio in 2 sizes. They seemed very secure and lined up well to close. It's some of the silver ones that have been a problem for me.