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Safety chain for a necklace with a hook-eye clasp? Good idea or not?

Joined
Apr 22, 2020
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Seeing another post about safety chains recently has put a question in my mind! So my mother has this necklace that has (in my opinion) kind of a flimsy clasp for what is a reasonably heavy necklace. It’s a basic adjustable necklace, with a hook-eye clasp. I’ve attached a picture from the Internet to show what I mean.

EAAE8B68-77FB-4E53-A119-AD928549CB32.jpeg

Looking at this clasp honestly makes me freak out imagining all the horrible ways things could go wrong. She had it checked out by a jeweler who said that the clasp seems secure but it’s a bunch of thin links, what if something happens and the link fails or the hook falls out of the link? She hasn’t worn it very often so nothing has happened so far but I’m afraid that something might. My thought was to either replace the closure with a hook eye that has a safety latch (pic below) and/or include a safety chain (pic below) that can be attached at the longest length, since she has long hair and the back of the necklace won’t be seen. What would be your recommendation?

safety latch on hook and eye:

B38CE3AD-FEBD-40CA-87C9-942820D759BC.jpeg

safety chain for necklace:

E2A3B56A-062D-41EB-9247-8C3CE3F7C39E.jpeg

This one is removable, but I don’t want to get a safety chain that has another clasp, since she doesn’t want anything fiddly. So the chain would have to be long enough that the necklace can go over her head and permanently attached to the necklace. Is that viable?

thank you for your suggestions and comments!
 
A well made Lobster claw clasp without any added safety device is very sufficient for most necklaces. A necklace is not like earrings which can fall off the ear and never be see again. A necklace has some weight and generally wearers will feel it slipping down and off their neck. Don't go with the lightest, most delicate clasp. Use one large enough to easily manipulate and it will be far less likely to become bent and disconnect. too.
 
A well made Lobster claw clasp without any added safety device is very sufficient for most necklaces. A necklace is not like earrings which can fall off the ear and never be see again. A necklace has some weight and generally wearers will feel it slipping down and off their neck. Don't go with the lightest, most delicate clasp. Use one large enough to easily manipulate and it will be far less likely to become bent and disconnect. too.

Thank you for your comment, @oldminer! So in your opinion (not holding you to this ofc) if a jeweler okays it after a physical inspection then the safety latch/chain is overkill? That makes me feel a bit more relieved, thank you!
 
I had a necklace with a safety clasp (actually two that I wore together), made me feel very secure. They were pretty weighty. They were long enough to go over my head easily so I didn't have to fiddle. And then they just disappeared. I woke up one morning and realised I wasn't wearing them anymore. Searched everywhere, couldn't find them. Thankfully my rings were not attached to them, which is what I was using them for!

A few years later I got out a dress I hadn't worn in a while because it was for special occasions only, and out fell my necklaces. They had come off with the dress, which I hadn't noticed, and no alcohol was involved! I can no longer trust to wear those necklaces, safety chain or not. Just something to bear in mind - but otherwise I like the idea of a safety chain or even just the hook with the clasp that closes shut.
 
Agree with oldminer. A good lobster claw should suffice. All the necklaces I’ve worn frequently have them.
 
Agree with oldminer. A good lobster claw should suffice. All the necklaces I’ve worn frequently have them.

Thank you for the reassurance! I asked my mom what the weight of the necklace would be and she spitballed it at around 150-160g. Would the lobster claw be able to hold that kind of weight?
 
Thank you for the reassurance! I asked my mom what the weight of the necklace would be and she spitballed it at around 150-160g. Would the lobster claw be able to hold that kind of weight?

I’d defer to your jeweler on what size to use for the weight.
 
I’d defer to your jeweler on what size to use for the weight.

Yes I would have to take it to him to get any work done anyway, so maybe the easiest solution is to just give him a call and discuss options first. He checked out the piece end of last year and said that the clasp seemed fine to him, it hasn’t been worn since then. Just wanted to run ideas by the community here to see what everyone had to say to see if I had a legitimate concern or whether im being overly cautious. Thank you!
 
A 5 troy ounce necklace sounds like an Indian Princess could wear it. Heavy, indeed. I am certain that you'd immediately notice if such a large piece fell from your neck and shoulders. Truthfully, a few links in the necklace could be far weaker links than a well made, large lobster clasp. A lot depends on the way the entire necklace is made, how it hangs, etc. The clasp is often one of the strongest links in a necklace. Many times the integrity of the entire item depends on a rather small number of very thin and delicate links.
I would not trust a typical "S" hook clasp which is often found on high karat gold jewelry. They are soft and can bend to the open position too easily.
 
A 5 troy ounce necklace sounds like an Indian Princess could wear it. Heavy, indeed. I am certain that you'd immediately notice if such a large piece fell from your neck and shoulders. Truthfully, a few links in the necklace could be far weaker links than a well made, large lobster clasp. A lot depends on the way the entire necklace is made, how it hangs, etc. The clasp is often one of the strongest links in a necklace. Many times the integrity of the entire item depends on a rather small number of very thin and delicate links.
I would not trust a typical "S" hook clasp which is often found on high karat gold jewelry. They are soft and can bend to the open position too easily.

Thank you for your reply! I’m feeling much more relieved now :) maybe I’ll still ask the jeweler if something additional is needed for peace of mind but it’s a relief to know that a well made lobster clasp ought to be good enough to keep the necklace on and she’ll feel it if it doesn’t!
 
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