Trying to find a clasp.

[Talulla]

Does anyone know where I can find this vintage clasp so I can fix my great grandmothers pearls?

 

[jshepherd]

That's going to be a difficult find. Can't the clasp be repaired?

 

[Talulla]

That's going to be a difficult find. Can't the clasp be repaired?

My jeweler says no. He said the mail parts are very specific to how they fit.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Yes, I see the tongue--the male part- is missing.

Here is my suggestion: Turn the clasp into a pendant, and buy a new clasp.
The end of the clasp still has the soldered ring -- it would not be hard to turn it into a pendant with a few simple findings. It would be very pretty, with that pearl there.

 

[Talulla]

That is what my jeweler suggested. The does make me sad though.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I'll bet your great grandmother would be delighted that you were wearing it anyway.

What about turning the clasp into an enhancer, that could be worn with the pearls, in the front? Then you could get a simple clasp.
Do you know what an enhancer is? The bail of the enhancer opens up so you can fit it over the pearls, then close it so it hangs from the pearl necklace itself as a pendant. I think it would look great!

 

[Talulla]

That’s a great idea! Thank you

 

[SurfnSci]

Just a thought since it would make a lovely enhancer as suggested by Pearl Dreams, but if you wanted to try to keep it as a clasp, could your jeweler solder a jump ring onto the clasp itself and then you can add a spring ring/lobster clasp/simple hook onto the other end of the pearls? If it is small enough, I doubt it would be readily detectable to the eye when wearing it.

 

[A Breaker]

Talulla did you figure out something? There are several Vintage jewelry supply shops that have fishhooks...you would need to know the dimensions. Some are interchangable, some not.​

 

[JamiePitts]

Can you post another picture please, one that you can see the silver detail and one of the back. I just won an auction with a TON of antique clasps and I may have what you are looking for! If I can find a match, its yours!

 

[A Breaker]

If Jamie doesn't get one that matches...I used my other fish hooks to find the right size for a missing one (Vintage)...Bella Findings had 2 sizes of fish hooks...I measured the size that fit & ordered. I am not sure that the jeweler is correct in the size being custom. I also know that in Jewelry school, they ordered pearl catches, while they made everything else... Box clasps are a whole nother story! I am going to have to cut/trim tongues to fit some of my vintage ones. Bella Finds has some of those as well...

 

[BWeaves]

I'm not sure this was a fishhook clasp. It looks more like a box clasp and the "tongue" part is missing.