Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Magnet Clasps - Where to buy them cheaply



I'm often asked where I buy my magnet clasps. I had a really good Chinese source for them a while back but that eBay shop no longer has them. I've since found another shop on eBay that has nice ones and I've ordered them from best-love-u365 quite a few times. Their shipping is free and relatively fast compared to other Chinese shops I've bought from.

The Chinese magnets may not be as strong and reliable as more expensive clasps that you can buy elsewhere, but the price from China can't be beat and they suit my budget perfectly. Because they're so inexpensive, I expect some imperfections. I sometimes have to re-glue some of the magnets over time. Since I have no experience with expensive magnet clasps, I can't say if this is more of a problem with the cheap ones from China or just the way that they all are. The problem seems to be that they don't always put enough glue on the magnets to keep them from failing. My husband re-glues them for me and he says that the bond is permanent when he's done with them.

I'm updating this post because all of the other links that I had in my previous were dead except for the one I mentioned above. I did a search on eBay and found several others that have the same kinds of clasps that I've been buying. Note that I have never purchased anything from any of these shops except for best-love-u365.

While doing my search, I noticed that several of these shops, including best-love-u365, are now selling a new style of clasps that I'd like to try. They're pretty and I'm hoping that they will be as nice as the "striped" ones that I usually buy. I'll try to remember to post back once I've tried them. This is what the new kind looks like:



Although several shops have these, only three on the list have them in bronze. They are century-jewelry, changchul-0 and jewelry1995-1. jewelry1995-1 doesn't have a photo of the bronze ones, but they are listed and show that they're in stock. On Sunday morning I ordered some from changchul-0 in bronze, copper and dark silver. They shipped them that night. We'll see how long they take to get here. I've had packages from China arrive in less than two weeks and others that took several weeks to get here. I did get a tracking number with the order but not all Chinese shops on eBay provide one.


SOURCES FOR MAGNETIC CLASPS

best-love-u365

better-us818

lhk3902

fc19851233

mybead88

century-jewelry

Crafts-Wholesale

changchul-0

jewelry1995-1


UPDATE 7/27/2022: None of these are available anymore on eBay and I don't know of any other sources for inexpensive clasps like these.



13 comments:

  1. Best love u365 shows
    "This Store currently has 0 listings. You can come back later or check other Stores." When I clicked on your link

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    1. I was just there a couple days ago and they were open for business. I just checked and they have this message posted there:

      "From Jan. 16 ~ Feb. 05 is Chinese New Year; no shipping service available. If you really like our shop, please follow us, and kindly wait.

      Happy New Year!Sincerely,"

      I'm afraid that you will find this to be the case with a lot of the Chinese eBay shops. This is their big holiday and nobody works during that time apparently.

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  2. In case you or your readers are looking for something less ornate... I needed a slim clasp for a velvet cord necklace and bought a set of these: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10pcs-lot-HOT-Strong-Magnetic-Clasps-For-hole-3-4-5-6-7-8-10-mmNecklace/32718358549.html They come in silver and gold. I bought the smallest size, 3mm.
    They are fantastic! I'm looking forward to using the rest for upgrading my bracelet clasps. I wish they came in other shapes too, like flat rectangles with 2-3 holes. Have you come across anything similar?

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    1. Hi BlackKitty. How do you attach the clasps to your necklace? I don't see any holes or loops on them.

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    2. It's a pair of hollow cylinders with the magnets at one end. I dipped the cord in E-6000 glue and shoved it inside. I don't have other cord jewellery, but I'll use the same method for putting the other clasps on beaded or chain jewellery.

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    3. I had a feeling that glue might be involved. I've never used E-6000. Do you find it to be secure enough for that kind of purpose?

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    4. I seem to recall having a discussion with my husband about E-6000 and using it to repair my magnetic clasps. We were unable to determine if that glue needs air to dry or not. If it does, then it wouldn't work for putting the magnets back in a clasp because the air can't get in to cure the glue. That was why he went with epoxy for the job. It doesn't air cure.

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    5. I honestly have no idea and there is nothing relevant on the package. I use it to glue rhinestones and cabochons because it's transparent and easy to manipulate. I had one of those foldable purse holders where one of the magnets came off; I'll try the glue on it if I can find it. Although I have to agree with your husband, nothing beats epoxy for a secure bond.

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  3. thanks for the info Linda, I'll order after 2/5

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  4. What size magnetic clasps do you prefer? I'm thinking 8 mm should be a good general size.

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    Replies
    1. I use 8mm clasps the most. I only use the 6mm ones with very thin, delicate bracelets.

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  5. Hi, Linda,
    have you ordered these new style clasps from best-love-u365?
    What size are they? I can't see size in item details and there is no posibility to choose size like others clasps.

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    Replies
    1. Sorry for taking so long to reply. I just found out this morning that Blogger hasn't been notifying us by email when we have new comments. When I buy the round clasps, I mostly use the 8mm ones. Those oval ones only come in one size. They are just a little longer than the round ones and maybe not quite as fat.

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