Beaded Cluster Earrings Japan
Jewels n Treasures
Affordable vintage costume jewelry
Costume jewelry clasps come in many sizes, styles, and shapes.  Materials used
range from pot metal to silver-plated, to gold filled sterling silver to solid gold.  They
can be as simple or ornate as your imagination including all assortment of vintage
rhinestones, jewels, filigree, beads, multi-strands, etc.  The main types of clasps
you'll find on costume jewelry items are shown in the photo below and include:
lobster claw or "trigger" clasps, springring, hook, tab insert or box, hook-and-eye,
fold-over, barrel, "s" hook, and toggle.  Other types of clasps include self-closing
clasps, torpedo clasps, bayonet clasps, magnetic clasps, tab lock clasps, "c"
clasps, barrel-and-ball, and slide lock clasps. Vintage and contemporary jewelry
designers carefully choose which clasp to use to best accent their necklaces,
bracelets and other costume jewelry.  Some designers have very specific designs
to their claps like Monet, Coro, and Lisner.
Traditional and Vintage Jewelry Clasps
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Types of Clasps in Jewelry Making
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Dating Clues for Older Jewelry Clasps and Jewelry Hinges

Clasps and fittings on jewelry can help date a piece of jewelry. Knowing a bit about the history of jewelry clasps can come in
handy in this process.  Here's some information on some basic older or vintage jewelry clasps.
  "C" clasp
 The earliest clasping device,
but sometimes found on
newer pieces
 pre-1800
  Early safety clasp
   1890s - 1910
  Back-up pin
 Used before safety clasps
were invented
 1830's - 1850s
  Safety pin
safety pin catch
 attached with chain or made
part of a pin back or for the
clasp itself
 Used in jewelry in 1880s and
1890s.
  Tube
trombone clasp
 Used in Europe until 1950's
 1890s to 1940s
       
  Modifed "C" safety clasp
 Sometimes this "new" safety
clasp was added to old jewelry
to guard against accidental
loss of the piece.
 1920s - present
HINGES
      
  Tube hinge
 Where pin stem is attached to
stationary end tubes on either
side of the stem by a pin that
goes through all three tubes
 Oldest type of hinge, used until
the 1890s
  Standard hinge
   1890s - present
  Hobbiest
 Inexpensive pin back that can
be applied to many materials
without use of soldering
  
       
       
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