Design This – Chains

Sometimes an Etsy alchemy request can be for something simple such as a chain. I have fulfilled custom requests for a safety chain and a necklace replacement chain through alchemy.

One customer had a lovely vintage copper bracelet whose clasp was unreliable and she wanted a safety chain so that if the clasp popped open, she wouldn’t lose the bracelet. Completing this request taught me that having the item in front of you, even if you are creating a simple addition for the item, is invaluable. I made the safety chain to the specs supplied by my customer. However much to the dismay of both of us, the gauge of the copper was too large for the spring rings to attach to. This had not been apparent in the photo of the bracelet, so my customer shipped the bracelet with the safety chain she had just received back to me so that I could remedy the situation. After being able to see the bracelet in person, I mocked up a couple of solutions for her to choose from and noticed that the clasp was upside down. I asked my customer if she would like me to turn it over and she was happy to have me do so. I was also able to tighten the clasp a bit so that it would stay closed more reliably. The safety chain was still an important safe guard because I expect that since the clasp had loosened up through use before, it would eventually do so again.

The necklace chain was for a lovely pendant whose former chain kept breaking. From seeing the photos, I was concerned about the size of the bail on the pendant and didn’t want to have a round of extra shipping required as with the safety chain, if the chain that I had suggested in my bid couldn’t fit through the bail or existing jump rings. It turned out that it was very fortunate that I requested to have the pendant shipped to me, because once I could see it in person, I had an idea for the replacement chain that I thought complemented the copper and antiqued brass colors of the pendant perfectly. (The exact colors of the pendant had been difficult to see in my customer’s photos.) I sent a photo to my customer of this idea and the original chain suggestion. She liked the copper and brass combination that I had come up with better than my original idea, so that is what I made up for her. This unique replacement chain would not have been possible without seeing the pendant in person.

Small or large, I enjoy making repairs or creating custom pieces that allow my customers to continue to enjoy a cherished piece of jewelry or find a new one matched to their needs. Please contact Eclectic Design Choices if there is something that I can repair or create for you.