Clasp for jewelry chain

A clasp for jewelry chains comprising a hook member and a keeper member, said hook member having a shank segment and a hook segment, said hook segment being arcuate in shape and having a distal end, said keeper member comprising an arcuately shaped enclosed channel section, the arcuate shape of said channel section conforming to the arcuate shape of said hook segment, one end of said arcuately shaped channel section being closed and the other end terminating in an open mouth portion, said mouth portion being adapted to receive the distal end of said hook segment, said channel section and said hook segment cooperating to permit said hook member to pivot about the center of the arcuate shape of said channel section and fully slide within said channel section with only the shank segment remaining outside said channel section, said mouth portion comprising spaced apart shoulder members, the shoulder members being spaced apart a distance slightly less than the thickness of said shank segment, said shank segment being received past said shoulder members with a snap fit when said hook segment is fully inserted in said channel section, wherein said hook member is of a length such that its distal end terminates short of said closed end of said channel section in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the jewelry chain connected at said hook and keeper members, whereby the hook member and the keeper member are held together in an arcuate configuration of substantially less circumference than a circle by complete mating of said hook segment with said channel section for dynamic tension at the distal end of the hook member, and by said snap fit.