Open or Close a Fish Hook Clasp
Fish hook clasps can be tricky to undo if you aren't familiar with them. They are commonly found on pearl necklaces. They consist of an oval-shaped element (the "fish") and a "hook" which is mostly concealed in the clasp, making it tricky to figure out. However, once you've done it a few times, it's easy! Note, however, that they may prove difficult for those that suffer from arthritis or similar conditions that limit movement of the hand.
Steps
Opening a Clasp
- Find a necklace with a clasp on it that looks like the above image, or similar.
- Note that the necklace pictured above is of considerable age and the clasp is a bit tarnished. Fish hook clasps can look slightly different from this example.
- Hold the fish end in your non-dominant hand. A flat side should face you, and your thumb and finger should hold both narrow sides.
- Hold the clasp and squeeze the narrow sides, where your fingers are, as shown above.
- As you're doing this, push the hook end back into the fish until you feel it loosen, and then pull it out.
- The clasp should now be halfway open, like this.
- Rotate the hook end around the small metal bar until it is free.
- Voila! The necklace is now open!
Closing a Clasp
- With the necklace around your neck, turn it so that you can see the clasp.
- Hold the clasp the way you did to open it, and reverse your steps.
- Feed the pointy end of the hook around the metal bar so that it looks like this:
- Feed the pointy end of the hook around the metal bar so that it looks like this:
- The fish and hook end should look as they do in the above image, so that the hook can slide straight back into the fish.
- Slide the hook straight back into the fish. You might hear a small click, or feel the end of the hook lock in place.
- The clasp is now closed, and you're ready for a fancy night out. A closed clasp should look like the picture in the introduction.
Tips
- Practice opening and closing the clasp a few times before you wear the necklace out.
- When putting the necklace on yourself, try putting it on backwards and looking in a mirror to see what you're doing, then turning it back around once the clasp is closed.
- If there is considerable tarnish on the clasp, you might consider getting it cleaned. If the necklace is a set of pearls, do not attempt to do this by yourself, and instead consult a jeweler.
Warnings
- Stubborn clasps that won't open should be taken to a jeweler. Attempting to fix the problem yourself may damage the necklace.
