How to Make an S-Shaped Jewelry Clasp

Jewelry clasps are a necessary component of many necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Clasps allow adornments to be opened, put on and closed. Jewelry clasps come in a broad assortment of styles, from basic lobster clasps to special magnetic ones. While they are readily available at most jewelry supply retailers and bead stores, it is also possible to make some types of jewelry clasps yourself. An S-shaped jewelry clasp is attractive, secure and easy to create at home with jewelry wire and pliers.

Things You'll Need

• Round-nosed pliers
• Bent-nosed pliers
• 1 closed jump ring
• 16-gauge jewelry wire
• Marker
• Wire cutters

Instructions

1. Snip off a 1-inch section of 16-gauge jewelry wire with wire cutters. Mark the center point of the wire with a marker.

2. Position one end of the wire between the tips of your round-nosed pliers. Grasp the opposite end of the wire in your bent-nosed pliers to hold it steady.

3. Curl the wire around the round-nosed pliers to make a circle. Stop curling when the tip of the curled wire meets the ink spot at the center of the wire.

4. Grasp the opposite end of the wire with the tips of your round-nosed pliers. Hold the side of the wire that you just curled in the bent-nosed pliers to keep it steady.

5. Curl the wire around the round-nosed pliers in the direction opposite to the curl you made on the other side. Stop curling when the tip of the curled wire meets the ink spot at the center of the wire. You should have an S-shaped form.

6. Leave a sliver of space between the tips of the curled portions of wire and the ink-marked center point to slip a closed jump ring through. Make sure the space is big enough to allow a jump ring to be pushed through onto the S, but small enough that the jump ring will not slide off of the S without being pulled. Make small adjustments to the S form with the round-nosed pliers as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• To make a larger S-shaped jewelry clasp, start with more than 1 inch of wire. To make a smaller one, start with less.

References

• "Complete Metalsmith: Professional Edition"; Tim McCreight; 2004