01 · Claw Settings
What a claw setting actually does
爪镶到底起什么作用
Most rhinestone trims you buy from us sit flat. The stone glues to a base, back down, and you see it from the top. A claw setting changes that geometry. Small metal prongs bend over the edge of the stone and hold it in a raised cup, so the girdle and pavilion stay open to the light. That single change is why claw-set rhinestone looks closer to cut glass than a flat-back ever will.
我们卖的大多数水钻辅料都是平贴的：钻背朝下粘在基底上，你只从正面看它。爪镶把这个结构改了。几个小金属爪掰过钻边，把钻托在一个抬起来的爪座里，钻的腰部和底部就都露着进光。就是这一个改动，让爪镶水钻看起来比任何平底款都更接近切割玻璃。
The trade is honest. You add metal, an extra assembly step, and weight. In return you get side sparkle, a defined outline around each stone, and a grip that does not depend on adhesive holding forever. For some products that trade is worth it. For others it is dead cost. Knowing which is the whole job here.
代价也很实在：多了金属、多了一道装配、还重。换来的是侧面的火彩、每颗钻周围那圈清晰的轮廓，以及一种不靠胶水撑一辈子的咬合力。有些产品这笔买卖划算，有些就是白花钱。分清哪种是哪种，就是这篇要干的事。
02 · Two Formats
Claw chain versus loose claw settings
爪链与单颗爪镶
Two formats come up most often, and buyers mix the terms. Claw chain is a continuous metal strip of linked cups, each holding one stone, sold by the metre or the roll. It bends along a curve and you cut it to length. Loose claw settings are single cupped stones, the kind you sew, rivet, or set into a pattern one at a time.
最常碰到两种形态，买家又老把名字混着叫。爪链是一整条串联的金属爪座，每个座里一颗钻，按米或按卷卖。它能顺着弧线弯，你按需要的长度剪。单颗爪镶就是一颗颗带爪座的钻，缝、铆、或者一颗一颗排成花型的那种。
Use claw chain when you need a clean continuous line: a strap edge, a neckline, a bangle rim. Use loose settings when stones sit apart in a motif, or when each one carries a different colour. Here is the quick split:
需要一条干净连续的亮线时用爪链：鞋带边、领口、手镯圈口。钻是散开排在花型里、或者每颗颜色不一样时，用单颗爪镶。简单分一下：
- Claw chain: continuous edges, curves, fast linear coverage, uniform stone size.
- Loose claw settings: scattered motifs, mixed colours, hand-placed accents, repair and rework.
- 爪链：连续的边、弧线、快速走线铺面、统一钻号。
- 单颗爪镶：散点花型、混色、手工点缀、维修返工。
03 · Where Metal Pays
When metal settings earn their cost
金属底座什么时候值这个钱
Three situations pay you back for the extra money. First, premium positioning. On a bridal sandal, an evening clutch, or a fashion bangle, the lifted stone and metal outline read as jewellery, not as applied decoration. Buyers in that tier notice the difference under store lighting, and they price the finished piece accordingly.
有三种情况，这笔多花的钱能赚回来。一是高端定位。婚鞋、晚宴包、时装手镯上，抬起来的钻面加金属轮廓，看着像首饰，不像贴上去的装饰。这个档位的买家在店里的灯光下一眼就看出区别，成品也敢往上定价。
Second, motion and light. Claw-set rhinestone throws light from the side as the wearer moves, so it flickers instead of just shining flat. On anything that catches a runway light or a flash, that movement is the selling point. Third, mechanical security on hard-use goods. Where adhesive alone worries you, a claw physically holds the stone, and the metal tone (rose gold, gold, silver) becomes part of the design rather than a hidden base.
二是动态和光。爪镶水钻在人走动时从侧面甩光，是闪烁不是死亮一片。凡是要上 T 台灯、要吃闪光灯的东西，这种闪动就是卖点。三是高强度使用件上的机械牢固度。光靠胶你不放心的地方，爪子是实打实卡住钻的，而金属色（玫瑰金、金、银）也从一个藏起来的底座，变成了设计的一部分。
04 · Where Glue Wins
Where glued stones still win
什么时候还是用胶粘钻
Metal is not always the upgrade. Flat-back and hot-fix rhinestone still win on three counts, and a good buyer specs them without apology. Weight and hand: a glued mesh or rhinestone lace stays soft and light, which matters on garments and stretch panels where a metal chain would feel stiff. Cost per square: covering a large area in claw chain runs the bill up fast, while a flat-back sheet covers ground cheaply.
金属不一定就是升级。平底钻和烫钻在三件事上仍然赢，懂行的买家点它们时一点不心虚。重量和手感：胶粘网片或水钻花边轻软，在服装和弹力片上很重要，那地方上金属链会发硬。单位面积成本：大面积铺爪链，账单涨得飞快；平底片铺面便宜得多。
Speed and rework: hot-fix and self-adhesive bases press on fast in production and let you fix a panel without resetting metal. So the real question is rarely which is better. It is where on the same product each one belongs. Many of our pieces run both: a claw chain edge framing a flat-back field inside it.
速度和返工：烫钻和自背胶底在产线上压得快，一片要修也不用重镶金属。所以真正的问题很少是哪个更好，而是在同一个产品上，哪个该用在哪。我们很多件就是两样一起上：爪链走边框住里面一片平底铺面。
05 · Specifying It
How to spec claw chain on your order
下单时怎么写爪链规格
Write the order so the sample comes back right the first time. Name the stone size in SS, the metal tone, and whether you want a single-row chain or a wider band. Say how it attaches: sew-on, rivet, or set into one of our flexible bases. If the trim curves, tell us the tightest radius it has to follow, because a sharp turn changes how the cups link.
把单子写到样品第一次就对。写清钻号（SS）、金属色、要单排链还是更宽的带。说清怎么固定：缝、铆、还是镶进我们某条柔性基底。辅料要走弧线，就告诉我们它要拐的最小半径，因为急弯会改变爪座之间的连接方式。
A few lines save a sampling round:
几行字能省一轮打样：
- Stone size (SS), metal tone (rose gold / gold / silver), single-row or band.
- Attachment: sew-on / rivet / set into mesh, lace or PVC base.
- Tightest curve radius, total length per piece, and target order quantity.
- 钻号（SS）、金属色（玫瑰金／金／银）、单排还是宽带。
- 固定方式：缝／铆／镶进网片、花边或 PVC 基底。
- 最小弯弧半径、每件总长、目标订货量。
We run claw settings and claw chains as elements inside several lines, not as one fixed item, so colour, stone and chain pattern are all open under OEM and ODM. Trial orders start from USD 500, and the same drawing can move between a metal claw edge and a glued field as your design firms up. Send a sketch or a sample and we will quote the version that fits the product, not just the flashiest one.
爪镶和爪链在我们这是好几条产品线里的元素，不是一个固定单品，所以颜色、钻、链型在 OEM／ODM 下都能改。试单从 500 美金起，同一张图纸随着设计定下来，可以在金属爪边和胶粘铺面之间挪。把草图或样品发来，我们报那个适合产品的版本，不光是最闪的那个。