A clasp is a large clasp on a piece of jewelry that can be regarded as an independent piece of jewelry. The name comes from the French fermoir - clasp.
The clasp can be on a book, album, handbag, purse and necklace. A necklace with such a clasp is also called a clasp. Basically, this elegant decoration has several rows of identical beads, which are connected by a clasp located in front and which is the central part of the decoration.
In Europe, jewelry and handbags with precious clasps became especially popular in the Middle Ages. Sometimes the clasp itself was so luxurious and expensive that no one could afford to wear a necklace with a clasp on the back where it might not be seen. The clasp could be transferred to another necklace or necklace, that is, such a clasp can be on both products, and at the same time be called a clasp.
In Russia, such decorations appeared at the beginning of the 18th century, when Peter I dressed Russia in a European way. The ladies pulled into corsets, opened the deep neckline, and the clasp was on the chest of the beauties. It was this decoration that became one of the most popular.
Clasps began to be made from diamonds, sapphires, rubies and other precious stones. The clasp can be seen in portraits from the 18th and first half of the 19th centuries.
At the beginning of the 19th century, they become the most front part in a chain of stones, located right on the chest of beauties. Apparently, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna enjoyed special preference for the clasp. She repeatedly gave her daughter-in-law Elizaveta Alekseevna precious clasps with diamonds and emeralds.
Nicholas I at the wedding of Natalia Nikolaevna Pushkina with P.P. Lansky presented a diamond clasp in the form of a star.
The fact that Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna loved clasps is evidenced by her portraits remaining in museums around the world.
The emerald clasp was the first present in the artistic life of Pauline Viardot.
Our jewelry is the true favorite of jewelry fashion, because they occupy a central and most visible place in the ensemble of women's attire. Neck jewelry complements the intended image, brings zest.
And the presence of fasteners for necklaces and necklaces is an obligatory detail. The clasp is decorated with great care, using precious stones and precious metals. Thanks to the skill of jewelers, necklaces with such a precious lock became extremely popular for almost two centuries. In Russia they were also called clasps.
Today, speaking of a clasp, we most often mean a clasp for a bag or wallet. Nowadays, handbag clasps can be purchased at any craft store, and for a small amount, because they are made from cheap materials.
However, many fashion houses produce bags with expensive clasps, and jewelry brands will give you the opportunity to purchase clasp necklaces.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has a rich collection of clasps. Pearl necklaces are classics of the English royal family, and clasps with diamonds or sapphires, amethysts or aquamarines that complement these necklaces are the pinnacle of jewelry craftsmanship.
