Question about jewelry making

Okay, question here. My dad used to make jewelry when I was little with precious stones. There was some time of clasp made of metal that he slid over the top of the stone and pinched it closed and glued it. Then a ring was placed at the top of the clasp for a chain to go through. My question is, what are these clasps called and do they still sell them and if so, where?
thanks,
Linda

[marym]

I think you mean Bell caps, sometimes called bead caps. Some come with a loop on top (for attaching jump rings/chain etc...) and some are simply drilled with a hole- bead and bell caps.

Bell caps can be glued and bent to shape around the bead- but most of these don't have staying power- the glue simply does not hold because all caps are not created equal.  Finding a bell cap with a pin that can be glued into the bead hole gives you better security than simply gluing the cap around the top of the bead.  Using a screw eye finding with a drilled bead cap has the same effect- but expands your selection.

Take a look at these:
Screw eyes.

You can find screw eyes made complete with a plain cap- or you can use a regular bead cap of your choosing (this is my preference- it allows me to be a little more creative).  

Happy hunting!  Let us know if you need anything else!

-Mary
R&T staff