Sometimes jewelry designs flash into your mind fully formed and sometimes they take a bit of tinkering. My Pearl Perchance Necklace fell into that latter category.
When designing this necklace, I did some experimenting to figure out what makes a necklace feel formal or casual. One small aspect that can make a huge difference? The clasp or closure.
I mentioned this to a friend last week and she found it puzzling. "But the clasp is just hidden at the back. Who cares about that?"
It's true that the clasp won't be seen when worn, but the person who owns the necklace will see it in her jewelry box. Think of a good clasp as a gift to the necklace owner. Everyone can admire the front of the necklace when she wears it, but she will know (and remember!) if the clasp is a pain to use, feels flimsy, or looks at odds with the mood or theme of the necklace.
In fact, choosing a fitting clasp is such an integral part of good jewelry design that if you're submitting to magazines and getting a lot of "thanks, but no thanks," take a good look at your clasps. Did you put as much thought and care into them as you did the rest of your design?
This doesn't mean you can't ever use a plain lobster clasp. (I still use plenty of them.) It means that the type of closure you use should be a conscious decision that it's the best kind, color, quality, style, and size for that particular necklace. It should never be something you just grab because it's handy.
You can read about my process "How to Transform a Pearl Necklace From Formal to Casual" on the Halcraft blog. Full project instructions for the necklace, including step-by-step photos, are also available.