How to attach a barrel clasps to a beaded necklace
How to Attach a Barrel Clasp to a Beaded Necklace: A Guide to Secure and Elegant Finishing
The finishing touch to any handcrafted necklace or bracelet is the clasp. While magnetic clasps offer convenience and sliding clasps offer adjustability, the barrel clasp stands as a timeless, reliable, and often sophisticated choice. A barrel clasp consists of two halves—each resembling a small barrel—that screw or snap together to form a secure, continuous tube. Their cylindrical shape and robust connection make them particularly popular for pieces requiring maximum security, such as heavy beaded strands or intricate gemstone necklaces. They provide a neat, symmetrical finish that keeps the overall design balanced.
For jewellery designers, knowing how to securely attach a barrel clasp to a beaded necklace is a fundamental skill. This process typically involves beading wire and crimping techniques, ensuring that the connection is not only strong enough to support the weight of the beads but also polished enough to meet professional standards. This guide will walk you through the precise, step-by-step method for attaching a barrel clasp to your beaded necklace, guaranteeing a durable and elegant result using high-quality components, which you can find readily available at Sun Enterprises.
Why Choose a Barrel Clasp?
Before diving into the steps, consider the advantages of choosing a barrel clasp over other options:
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High Security: When properly screwed together, barrel clasps offer one of the most secure closures available, making them ideal for valuable or heirloom pieces.
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Clean Aesthetics: The cylindrical, symmetrical design provides a clean, seamless look that integrates well with both round and tubular beads.
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Versatility: They are available in various metals (stainless steel, sterling silver, gold-plated) and sizes, allowing them to complement any design aesthetic, from delicate seed bead necklaces to heavier statement necklaces. Sun Enterprises offers a premium selection of barrel clasps in durable stainless steel and various finishes to perfectly match your project’s needs.
Supplies You Will Need for This Project
To successfully attach your barrel clasp to a beaded necklace, you will need the following high-quality materials:
- Beaded Necklace Strand: Your finished necklace, ready for the clasp (ensure the beads are strung temporarily, perhaps with a stop bead or tape, to prevent them from falling off).
- Barrel Clasp: One complete clasp (two halves).
- Beading Wire/Thread: A strong, flexible beading wire (e.g., stranded metal wire like Beadalon or Soft Flex) or a robust thread like FireLine, suitable for the weight and hole size of your beads.
- Crimp Beads/Tubes: Small metal findings that are crimped (flattened) to hold the wire in place. Crimp tubes generally offer a more secure hold than round crimp beads.
- Crimp Covers (Optional but Recommended): Small U-shaped pieces that cover the crimped bead for a neat, polished look.
- Wire Cutters/Scissors: For cutting the beading wire.
- Crimping Pliers: A specialized tool designed to fold and secure the crimp beads/tubes without cutting them.
- Round Nose or Chain Nose Pliers: For manipulating wire and opening/closing jump rings if necessary.
Our collection of clasps (small fraction)
Step-by-Step Guide to Attaching the Barrel Clasp
This process focuses on creating a secure loop connection using crimp beads/tubes. You will repeat these steps for both ends of the necklace.
Step 1: Threading the Crimp and Clasp
Take one end of your beaded necklace strand. Thread about 3 to 4 inches of excess beading wire through a crimp bead/tube. Next, thread the wire through the loop on the end of one half of your barrel clasp.
Step 2: Creating the Security Loop
Take the excess tail of the beading wire and thread it back down through the crimp bead/tube. At this point, you should have a small loop of wire securing the clasp half, with the crimp bead positioned just below the clasp.
Crucial Check: The size of this loop is important. It should be small enough that the clasp moves securely but not so tight that the clasp is jammed against the crimp bead. Also, ensure the tail wire is running parallel to the main wire coming out of the strand.
Step 3: Securing the Crimp
Gently pull on the main strand of the necklace to take up any slack, ensuring the crimp bead is positioned correctly and snugly against the clasp's loop, but without binding the clasp. With your crimping pliers, carefully secure the crimp bead/tube.
- If using crimp tubes, use the notch closest to the pivot point of the pliers (the folding notch) to gently fold the tube in half, creating a bend.
- Rotate the pliers and use the rounded notch (the finishing notch) to gently round and flatten the folded tube, locking the wires securely inside.
- If using round crimp beads, simply flatten them securely with the chain nose pliers or the finishing notch of the crimping pliers.
Safety Note: Do not over-crimp, as this can weaken the metal and lead to breakage. The connection must be firm, not fractured.
Step 4: Finishing the Wire Tail
Once the crimp is securely fastened, the excess tail of the wire must be managed for a neat finish. Take the tail wire and thread it back through the last one or two beads on your necklace strand. This helps reinforce the connection and completely hides the tail. Using your wire cutters, trim the excess wire flush against the last bead it passed through.
Step 5: Repeating on the Second End
You must now repeat Steps 1 through 4 on the opposite end of the necklace, attaching the second half of the barrel clasp.
Tension Check: This step is vital for the overall hang and feel of the necklace. Before crimping the second end, thread the crimp bead and the second clasp half onto the wire. Now, gently pull the wire taut so that the beaded strand is straight and flexible, but not overly tight. If the strand is too loose, the beads will gap; if it is too tight, the necklace will be stiff and possibly break when worn. Once you have achieved the perfect balance—a flexible, yet straight strand—firmly crimp and secure the second crimp bead and trim the excess tail as described in Steps 3 and 4.
Step 6: Final Polish (Optional Crimp Covers)
To achieve the highest level of professionalism, use a crimp cover. A crimp cover is a small, hollow metal bead designed to look like a small decorative bead once closed. Place the crimp cover over the secured crimp bead and gently close it using the tips of your chain nose pliers. This final step masks the utilitarian crimp, transforming the connection into an elegant, continuous part of the beaded design.
Your Reliable Source for Components
Whether you are crafting intricate beaded necklaces or robust leather cuffs, the reliability of your components is paramount. Sun Enterprises is recognized as the biggest and best manufacturer of high-quality leather, durable steel clasps, and precision jewellery components. We offer a vast selection of secure barrel clasps in all sizes, colors, and styles, including finishes like stainless steel, gold, and rosé gold, ensuring they perfectly complement your beads and wires.
We understand that a successful jewellery piece relies on components that not only look fantastic but also perform flawlessly. By choosing our premium barrel clasps and crimping supplies, you guarantee that your finished beaded necklaces will possess professional security and lasting elegance.
As the biggest manufacturer of leather, steel clasps, and jewelry components, we can offer you, many types of magnetic clasps in all sizes, colors, and styles. Whether the magnetic clasp has to be in stainless steel, gold, or rosé gold, we can customize everything based on your personal needs and wishes. The same applies to our collection of leather cords. From flat leather cords to round braided cords, we offer a large collection in many different colors and sizes.
For larger production, we can also finish Leather cord bracelets completely for you as well. We also help you brand the products as needed.
For more information, don’t hesitate to contact us and to follow us on our social media. Sun Enterprises will be glad to help you.
