Monday 7 March 2011

Tuesday tutorial - attaching a simple necklace end and clasp

Today I am going to show you how I attach a calotte crimp onto the end of a necklace or bracelet made on tiger tail wire, and then how I would add a clasp.
Firstly I need to show you what is needed to finish off a necklace.

Snipe nosed pliers, wire, two tiny crimps, two side opening calotte crimps, two jump rings, one split ring and a clasp.


Firstly pinch a tiny crimp, flat onto end of wire, using the snipe nosed pliers. Leave a small length of wire protruding from the end of the wire, to help ensure that the crimp is pinched onto the wire securely.


 Next, slip a calotte crimp over the pinched crimp on the end of the wire.



Use snipe nosed pliers to pinch the calotte crimp firmly over the tiny crimp.



Open a jump ring by twisting with pliers. Either open the jump ring using two pairs of pliers, or by holding the ring in your left hand (if right handed) between your index finger and thumb, and then holding the snipe nosed pliers in your right hand, grab hold of ring and gently twist the ring open.
Slip open jump ring onto loop of calotte crimp.


Before closing jump ring, slip in clasp or split ring






  then twist the jump ring so it is firmly closed.

1 comment:

  1. Many thanks for this tutorial - it really is a great help as I really do feel that I need to finish the ends better. I usually thread the beading wire through the calotte then a small sterling silver bead, back through the calotte, through a crimp and then through about 4 beads of the necklace. Then I flatten the crimp bead. This way completely hides the crimp bead. I will give it a try....
    From Val

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