Quality craftsmanship is usually pretty easy to spot, if one knows what to look for. Whether shopping for apparel, accessories, furniture, or jewelry, there are unmistakable marks of distinction that elevate an item to rarified air. What characterizes fine examples of architecture, art objects, couture fashion, or just about anything else can usually be found in the details. Of course, you’ve heard the expression, “the devil is in the details,” right? Well, when it comes to fine craftsmanship, quality is also in the details.
When shopping for jewelry, most would probably think that the high price of a pretty bauble has to do with the materials used to make it. Diamonds and gold are expensive, therefore, a gold and diamond bracelet is expensive. True enough, at least to a point. There is little correlation, however, between cost and quality. You can easily find one without the other. Often, the details that might go unnoticed are the trademarks of fine craftsmanship. Tiny components or proprietary techniques that bring a certain indefinable something extra to a piece of jewelry, quietly speaks volumes about the level of quality you are buying, along with painstaking attention to detail. Sometimes, that detail may be evident in the choices that are made when selecting the finishing touches for a piece of jewelry. For example, when a designer chooses the type of clasp to use to secure a piece of jewelry.
There are so many different types of jewelry clasps, and I’ve already written about two of them, the classic spring ring clasp, and the lobster claw. Both of these are common, workhorse clasps, generally reliable, but nothing special to look at. When examining a jewelry item for quality, one of the components that can bring a level of sophistication and visual appeal that makes the difference between run-of-the-mill and top-of-the-hill can be a distinctive, decorative clasp.
One of my own favorites is the toggle clasp. I use it throughout the Elegant Insights jewelry line for a few reasons. First, it’s a little unusual. While it has certainly become more popular as jewelry has become ever more mass-marketed, thanks to TV shopping, the toggle clasp is one of those components that can make or break how a jewelry piece is perceived by a potential customer. Instead of utilitarian, it is more of an adornment, if for no other reason than its size. While a springring clasp can be very small, just 1/8th of an inch on a smaller chain, a toggle clasp is usually much larger, thereby adding weight and substance.
For those of you who have never seen one, a toggle clasp consists of two parts, each attached to opposite ends of a chain. One piece is a ring, with an attached loop or jump ring. The other piece is a bar, which by virtue of the way the toggle works, must be longer than the ring is in diameter. So, if the toggle ring is a half-inch across, the bar may be twice that long. The bar also has a loop, at the midpoint of the bar, which is then attached to the other chain end.
The way a toggle clasp works is by making use of gravity and tension. You simply slip the bar through the ring, and the weight of the pendant, or the tension created by the pull of the chain keeps the bar from slipping back through the ring. If the proportions of the toggle clasp, sometimes also called a bar and ring clasp, are the correct proportions, it should be practically impossible for the bar to slip out of the ring, because the bar is so much longer than the ring diameter.
Toggles can be found in endless configurations. Toggle clasps can be plain, just a shiny bar and ring without any decoration, or the clasp itself can be quite ornate. For example, the ring can be created to look like a wreath of leaves, and the bar can be made to look like a branch. When the bar is pulled through the ring, it makes for a very elaborate looking structure, and when incorporated into a design, can be almost invisible as part of the pattern. The toggle ring can also be a heart, with the bar in the shape of an arrow. When pulled through the ring, the heart and arrow together becomes a recognizable symbol. The bar can also be highly decorative, in that the ring can be made to look like a trellis, and the bar can be a meandering grapevine. Or, the toggle clasp can be bold and weighty, and create the feel of a buckle, something you might see on horse tack or even climbing gear, creating an equestrian, sporty, or nautical effect. Toggle clasps can be wire-wrapped, gem set, hammered, diamond-cut, or whatever the jewelry design or theme calls for.
Finally, toggle clasps are usually easy-on, easy-off. Most wearers can put on their jewelry without assistance, which is a big plus for anyone frustrated by trying to attach a bracelet with a lobster claw or springring clasp. Putting on and securing jewelry can be so problematic that there are even assistive doo-dads that act as an extra hand, to hold one end of the bracelet while the wearer attempts to secure it with the other. A toggle clasp can solve the problem of asking your spouse for help, which can be as frustrating for them as for you, because anyone with larger fingers, long nails, or poor eyesight can struggle mightily trying to close a piece of jewelry with a traditional clasp.
A decorative or unusual clasp is one of those elements that can beautifully contribute to the overall esthetic of a fine jewelry design, whether the item is crafted from precious metals and gems or sterling silver and faux pearls. Next time you are shopping for jewelry, examine several pieces and identify how the clasp either contributes to, or detracts from, a design. While a unique closing mechanism is only one aspect of quality, it is certainly not the only one. However, unusual clasps are typically far more expensive than standard clasps, and if a designer is willing to spend more money on a beautiful clasp that enhances his or her design, then chances are, there are other aspects of quality craftsmanship that you can always ask to be made aware of. A good salesperson will be delighted to point out all the best features of a piece of jewelry, so as to ensure you will be eager to own and proudly wear their work. The toggle clasp is one easy and stylish way to put your jewelry on, and, of course, to get your sparkle on!
Laura
Laura Legendary is the owner of Elegant Insights Braille Creations, which offers jewelry and accessories that are beautiful, unusual, accessible, and inclusive. Shop the collection at elegantinsightsjewelry.com/