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How to Close a Bead Tip
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Bead tips are metal jewelry components used to join thread to a clasp. After you have completed a strand using bead tips, it is important to close them correctly to make sure your clasp or component is secure and to minimize the possibility of breakage.
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Skill Level
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Suitable for beginners.
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Time Required
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Seconds
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| Materials | Comments |
| Jewelry with Bead Tips | Instructions for using bead tips are here. |
| Flat Nose Pliers or Chain Nose Pliers | For closing bead tips |
| Clasp | Goldfilled Lobster Claw is Pictured |
You've taken the time to put bead tips onto your jewelry, so you owe it to yourself to make sure you close them correctly. Slip one end of the clasp into the bead tip. (tip: Necklaces usually are made with the hook portion of the clasp on the right side of the necklace because most people are right-handed.)
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Let the clasp slide to the back of the bead tip, where it will be out of the way. Grasp the inside tab of the bead tip with your pliers and pull the hook so that its end is inside the cup of the bead tip. Be very, very gentle and apply even pressure. Don't push the hook down (pliers on top of the hook and at the base of the cup) because this fatigues the metal. You could break the tip, weaken the tip, or cause the hook to close over the front of the cup where it can snag hair and clothes and break. Plated base metal tips are more likely to break than solid precious metal tips. Once you have secured one end of the clasp, perform the same process with the other bead tip and the loop side of the clasp (a jump ring for this clasp).
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Here's a close-up of a closed bead tip. Notice how both sides are rounded and smooth. Closing bead tips is easy, but it's important to do it correctly to make your jewelry secure and to give it a polished, professional appearance. You're done! It's time to enjoy your new creation!
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