| Jewelry-makers should learn terminology of basic | | | | the center beads will shift to the top as a bracelet |
| jewelry-making components and techniques to | | | | rotates due to gravity. A heavy toggle will help |
| work effectively with friends, customers and | | | | a bracelet to hang comfortably, with the toggle |
| suppliers. | | | | loop underneath the wrist. |
| Jewelry toggles make up one category of many | | | | Fastening Toggles |
| different jewelry closures for handmade artisan | | | | In pieces made with jewelry chain, you may see |
| jewelry, mass-market costume jewelry and fine | | | | chain end caps soldered onto the chain and |
| jewelry. While toggle clasps definitely fasten | | | | toggles connected with link locks or soldered jump |
| jewelry, they can also enhance jewelry | | | | rings. Unsoldered chain pieces will often use open |
| appearance. | | | | jump rings, split rings or link locks. Jewelry |
| What is a jewelry toggle? | | | | designers will usually fasten toggles to bead wire |
| A jewelry toggle is a set of two pieces: a jewelry | | | | projects using flattened crimps. Some designers |
| loop and a jewelry stick. The jewelry loop is | | | | favor clam shells or bead tips to make the |
| attached to one end of your unfinished jewelry; | | | | transition to the jewelry closures for bead wire |
| the jewelry stick attaches to the other end. The | | | | projects and fiber projects such as knotted silk |
| jewelry stick gets pushed through the jewelry | | | | jewelry. Inexpensive leather or fiber pieces may |
| loop, then turned so it rests longways against the | | | | be knotted directly onto the toggle pieces with |
| loop, gravity holding the two components in | | | | overhand knots. |
| place. A skin-tight jewelry piece without any | | | | Toggle Materials |
| slack will not last long -- this style closure is made | | | | Your "stick" may be as simple as a button with a |
| to have some slack. | | | | shank used with a loop of seed beads on bead |
| Toggle clasps come with a bit more risk than | | | | wire. Your loop may be quite fancy, with |
| lobster claw clasps. However, many jewelry | | | | "expandable" toggles of several rings attached |
| fans seem to regard jewelry toggles as more | | | | together. The rings on both the toggle loop |
| fashionable than lobster claw clasps. Jewelry | | | | and toggle stick should be firmly attached. |
| closed with toggles may fall off the body if they | | | | Toggle sticks with spiral patterns seem to be |
| are made with too much slack; sometimes the | | | | susceptible to bending more than many other |
| toggles may come undone when the tension on | | | | designs. |
| the jewelry is relaxed. | | | | Toggle in the United States will often be made of |
| Fancy toggles will often be used at the front of a | | | | one of the following materials: |
| necklace as a visual centerpiece -- especially fancy | | | | - Platinum |
| shaped toggles or toggles with addition | | | | - Palladium |
| decorations. | | | | - Gold |
| Jewelry toggles come in many different shapes: | | | | - Gold-Filled |
| round, oval, square, diamond, heart-shaped, floral, | | | | - Silver: Thai silver, sterling silver (.925 silver) |
| stirrup, etc. | | | | - Titanium |
| Toggle Mechanics | | | | - Surgical Steel |
| A toggle is most secure when it cannot easily slip | | | | - Brass, usually plated with gold, silver, copper, |
| back through the loop accidentally. The widest | | | | antique copper, antique brass, gunmetal/black |
| opening of the toggle loop must still be smaller | | | | nickel and imitation rhodium |
| than the shortest distance from your anchor point | | | | - Wood |
| (often a ring soldered on or cast midway a metal | | | | - Stone |
| toggle stick) to the end of the stick. The | | | | Many of these materials are available in different |
| toggle loop must also be big enough to | | | | surface textures: shiny, matte, brushed, etc. |
| accommodate the smallest beads on the end | | | | Crystals, cubic zirconia and gemstones may |
| attached to the toggle stick. The stick must be | | | | decorate toggles of the more expensive metals. |
| pulled through the loop before it can be turned to | | | | The jewelry designer's unique sense of design and |
| rest against the toggle loop. Many jewelry pieces | | | | style will define the jewelry aesthetics and the the |
| with toggle clasps will have beads graduated in | | | | possible toggles for a jewelry piece. Fortunately, |
| size from the larger beads at the center, where | | | | toggles are available in a wide range of prices, |
| they are most visible, to the smaller beads at | | | | shapes and materials. |
| both ends. Toggles that are light with respect to | | | | |