Friday, March 27, 2009

Box Clasp Adventure

I'm finally biting the bullet! I'm going to finish this bracelet once and for all! I made this beautiful Etruscan chain bracelet a couple of years ago. It took me several months to make and I've been afraid to touch it ever since.

Well, I'm going to finish it AND I'll be making my first box clasp for it. The clasp will be capped with this beautiful smithsonite.


It's pretty pathetic that I haven't made a box clasp already, but it's been one of the fears I've had to overcome. So, now that I've gotten some larger pieces of jewelry finished, and a bunch of things checked off of my to-do list I'm going to experiment with a decorative clasp.

Below is just the start of a sample. I'm sure I'll be making several samples in copper before I've got it figured out well enough to commit to a successful clasp.

Wish me luck! And any tips would greatly be appreciated!


In Tim McCreight's The Complete Metalsmith on the page where the box catches are found is a Chinese Proverb: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

I thought this was pretty appropriate for my current endeavor. Thanks Tim.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That clasp is so cool...great job.

Holly Wilcox said...

good luck!! I've been too scared to even attempt one of those!! It'll be amazing when it's done!! (-: Tim McCreight has a book just on hinges and catches, if that's not the one you've already got it's dead good!