| Whether shopping for jewelry closures with a | | | | necklace, bracelet or anklet. Spring rings from |
| jewelry findings vendor or reviewing jewelry | | | | 8mm to 20mm diameter may be used on larger |
| design options with a potential customer, knowing | | | | jewelry pieces, and may double as visual |
| the names of jewelry components will enhance | | | | centerpieces. |
| your credibility in the jewelry marketplace. One | | | | Spring Ring Materials |
| who learns the terminology of jewelry | | | | As with other jewelry closures, spring rings come |
| components will advance ahead of casual | | | | in a variety of materials, the most common of |
| students. | | | | which are: |
| What is a spring ring? | | | | - Gold: 18 karat, 14 karat, 12 karat in yellow gold, |
| Spring rings, a variety of round trigger clasps, are | | | | white gold, green gold, rose gold |
| a third type of basic jewelry closures besides | | | | - Gold-Filled: base metal with karat gold |
| lobster claws and toggles, described separately. | | | | mechanically and thermally bonded to visible and |
| Spring rings are circles made of several parts: an | | | | wear surfaces |
| outer "sleeve", an inner "shaft", a "tab" or "trigger" | | | | - Silver: sterling silver (.925 silver), including |
| that connects to the inner "shaft" and a spring | | | | blackened silver |
| hidden inside the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve | | | | - Brass, usually plated with gold, silver, bright |
| holds the spring against the inner shaft, holding the | | | | copper, antique copper, antique brass, gunmetal or |
| shaft normally closed. When one pulls the | | | | imitation rhodium |
| "trigger", the shaft pulls back into the outer tube, | | | | Spring rings are affordable jewelry closures for |
| allowing chain tabs or jump rings to be inserted | | | | fine, lightweight jewelry pieces in sterling, |
| into or removed from the clasp. | | | | gold-filled, karat gold or plated metals. For |
| When to use a spring ring? | | | | designers who like the way spring rings work, |
| Traditional use of a spring ring is to match a 4mm | | | | bolder, fancier spring rings can be used for larger |
| to 8mm diameter spring ring with a fine chain tag | | | | pieces and for visual centerpieces. |
| or jump ring on the opposite side of a fine chain | | | | |