Source For Clasps.

Q: I am having a hard time finding a good source for clasps. The people I have been dealing with are a nightmare. I'm mostly looking for unique sterling silver clasps.

A: Try 'Prijems'...213-489-1234 They are just wonderful... they are wholesalers, so I do not think they really sell 10 clasps at a time...they are suppliers to many jewelry designers... I have known 'Jay', the owner, for many years. They deal in stone beads, the most beautiful 'Tourmaline', 'Lapis', pearls, and all kinds other stones...also, having chain in silver, gold and 14ct gold fill... you can call and enquire about small quantites and see if they can help. 'Jay' is actually in India at the moment, but 'Aneesh' is there, I think... If you don't have access to a good bead/gem show in your area, or your local bead store doesn't carry them, I'd check out these folks, which aren't in any particular order. A lot of them have websites, but I generally find they only show a small portion of the findings they actually have. You have to call them and request a catalog, or describe what you want, to really get unusual things. Sometimes, bead stores aren't the best source for clasps, however. Check out your local 'Yellow Pages' under "jeweler's supplies", or similar topics, and you'll probably find several stores that deal in findings (if you live in a small town, you'll probably need to grab a phone book from the nearest large metropolitan area.) A few of these places will only sell wholesale, or to people with jeweler's licenses or something, but many will sell to the public. They tend to have the kind of clasps you'd find in jewelery stores, of course, but occasionally, somebody will either have unusual clasps in stock, or be able to order them for you. I also haunt antique, or ethnic shops. Especially smaller, older ones that aren't in fashionable districts. They often get in shipments of old jewelry, broken necklaces, etc., and are willing to part with them for not too much money. Some of my wildest clasps come from that stuff.

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