Flipping Clasps

Jewelry Discussion
1

I am the puzzeled maker of several flipping clasps. What I am
attempting seems so simple. Take a stone, bezel set it, attach a jump
ring on one edge and then underneath solder on an L shaped piece of
rectangular wire to act as a hook. A second version has the same idea
but using patterned sheet instead of a stone.

The problem is, when I try stringing pearls and using these as
clasps, the clasp wants to flip so the back side is out. I must be
missing the basic geometry here. Or maybe it’s physics. Will anyone
share clasps 101 with me? They would all be fine if worn with the
clasp on the back of the neck but that would defeat the purpose.

Thanks,
Betty Belmonte

2

Betty, try soldering the jump ring off-center, towards the inside of
the circle of the necklace as it is worn. Then gravity will keep it
from turning over backwards, as long as the clasp is worn towards the
bottom half of the necklace. You might have to redesign the clasp a
bit if you don’t like how this looks. But as you have been doing it,
there no way that it would not flip!