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A clasp does the one job every other part of a necklace or bracelet exists to support: it decides whether the piece stays on the body or ends up on the floor. GRIFFIN's Clasps collection covers several distinct closure mechanisms, from the everyday Lobster Clasp to the gathered security of a Slide Lock Clasp, each suited to a different combination of weight, hand strength, and how often the piece comes on and off. This guide sets out the types of jewellery clasps GRIFFIN makes, what each one does mechanically, which sizes exist, and how to match a clasp's weight to the piece it's closing rather than choosing on looks alone.
What a clasp has to do (and why the wrong one breaks a piece)
A clasp has three jobs at once: hold the two ends of a necklace or bracelet together under the pull of normal wear, open and close repeatedly without fatiguing, and fail safely if it does eventually give way, rather than releasing every bead on the strand at once. A clasp chosen for its looks rather than for the weight of the piece it's closing is the single most common reason a necklace ends up on the floor: a delicate Spring Ring holding a heavy multi-strand gemstone piece will wear out at the tiny lever long before the cord or wire does, while a robust Lobster Clasp on a light single-strand silk necklace is simply more clasp than the piece needs.
Lobster clasps: the everyday default
A Lobster Clasp closes with a small spring-loaded lever that a thumbnail pushes back to open the gate, then springs shut the instant it's released, which is what makes it the closure most people can operate one-handed without looking. GRIFFIN's Lobster Clasps are 925 sterling silver, nickel-free, and pair with a Soldered Jump Ring or Open Jump Ring on the opposite end so the piece can be taken on and off without needing to handle the clasp itself. The exact size range and how to match one to a given cord or wire is set out in the Lobster Clasp Size Guide.
Spring rings: the quiet classic
A Spring Ring closes with a small sliding barrel that retracts a spring-loaded gate inside a round housing, a mechanism that predates the Lobster Clasp and still shows up on finer, more delicate pieces where a smaller, flatter closure suits the design better than a lobster-shaped one. GRIFFIN makes Spring Rings in 925 Sterling Silver and 24K gold plating, and the smaller lever does mean more finger dexterity is needed to open one than a Lobster Clasp, a trade-off worth knowing before choosing it for a piece meant to come on and off daily. The Spring Ring article covers sizing and finishing options in full.
Magnetic ball clasps: snap-lock sizes 8, 10,12 and 15 mm
GRIFFIN's Magnetic Ball Clasps come in four sizes, 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, and 12 mm, with the internal magnets concealed behind a cover that secures them permanently to the clasp body rather than leaving them exposed. Two strong internal magnets join the two halves into a single unit that separates only when both sides are deliberately slid apart, which is what makes this closure one of the easiest to open one-handed or with limited hand strength, since there's no lever to squeeze or spring to compress. That same ease of separation is worth weighing against the piece it's closing; the Lobster vs Magnetic Clasp comparison covers where magnetic strength does and doesn't hold up.
S-hook clasps: 12.0, 20.0 and 30.0 mm
GRIFFIN's S-Hook Clasps come in three sizes, 12.0 mm, 20.0 mm, and 30.0 mm, an open hook shape that closes into a Soldered Jump Ring or a decorative loop on the opposite end rather than a matched two-part mechanism like a Lobster Clasp. That open shape makes an S-Hook Clasp quick to attach and detach, and it doubles as a visible design element in its own right on pieces where the clasp is meant to show rather than hide at the back of the neck.
Slide lock clasps for multi-strand work: 2-, 3- and 4-row
GRIFFIN's Slide Lock Clasp comes in 2-, 3-, and 4-row versions, at lengths of 17.5 mm, 22.5 mm, and 27.5 mm, built specifically to gather several strands into a single closure rather than finishing each strand with its own separate clasp. Each row locks into its own channel, which keeps multiple strands in a fixed order at the clasp end rather than letting them twist or cross over each other, the same problem a stacked bracelet or multi-strand necklace runs into without one. Choosing the row count to match the actual number of strands, rather than rounding up for a fuller look, keeps the unused channel from sitting empty and loose against the skin.
Matching clasp weight to necklace weight
A Lobster Clasp is the safer choice for a heavy multi-strand gemstone or Jewelry Wire piece, since it relies on a mechanical lever that has to be deliberately operated rather than simply overcome by weight or a snag on clothing. A Magnetic Ball Clasp suits a lighter single-strand piece worn for shorter stretches, prized for how easily it opens rather than for how much pull it resists, and the heavier the piece, the more that trade-off matters. Spring Rings and S-Hook Clasps sit in between: secure enough for everyday single-strand wear, but not the first choice for a dense multi-strand piece where a Slide Lock Clasp or a heavier mechanical closure is doing more of the structural work.
The GRIFFIN material specification for every clasp
Every GRIFFIN clasp is 925 sterling silver, nickel-free, the same base specification across all five closure types covered here. Gold-plated versions carry 7 microns of 24K gold over the 925 sterling silver base. Custom finishes, rhodium-plated, rose-gold-plated, ruthenium-plated, or a matt surface, are available to order beyond the standard silver and gold-plated options.
None of these 5 closures is the universally correct choice; each one trades ease of use against security, or visibility against a flush, low-profile finish, in a slightly different way. Matching that trade-off to the piece, its weight, and who's actually opening and closing it day to day matters more than which clasp looks best in a listing photo. GRIFFIN clasps and findings are available through griffin1866store.com and through authorised GRIFFIN stockists worldwide.
