Most bracelets are one of five kinds. A bangle is a rigid circle you slip over the hand. A chain bracelet is a run of links that fastens with a clasp. A tennis bracelet is a single, flexible line of stones. A charm bracelet carries small pendants that tell a story. A beaded bracelet is strung, light and often colourful. Choose by what you want the bracelet to do: a bangle gives shape, a chain gives ease, a tennis bracelet gives light, a charm bracelet is personal, and beads bring colour and texture.
Bangles and Cuffs: Shape at the Wrist
A bangle has no clasp, so the one rule is that it must pass over your hand. To find your size, tuck your thumb into your palm as if you were sliding a bangle on, and measure around the widest part of the hand, across the knuckles. That measurement, not your wrist, decides whether a bangle fits. A bangle that only just passes over the hand will sit neatly; one with more room will slide and move with you.
A cuff is the alternative when a closed bangle will not suit. It is open at one side, so it goes on from the side of the wrist rather than over the hand. Giovanni Raspini's Hammered Silver Bangle is hand-hammered, so the surface catches the light unevenly. Dodo's Polished Silver Bangle is slim sterling silver with a mirror finish. Giode Gioielli's Textured Gold Bangle is gold-tone with a fine texture, and Majorica's Silver Open Cuff Bracelet finishes its two open ends with a pearl-like sphere and a clear square stone.
Chain Bracelets: The Everyday Choice
A chain bracelet is the easiest to wear and the easiest to give. It fastens with a clasp, so the fit is set by its length rather than the size of your hand, and it moves softly with the wrist. The link decides the character. Fine chains are almost invisible and ideal for layering; larger oval or rounded links are bolder and can be worn alone.
Giovanni Raspini's Silver Link Bracelet uses polished sterling silver oval links and a toggle clasp engraved with the house's mark. 24Kae's Gold Link Bracelet is a gold-plated run of oval links with a small charm. Stroili's Sterling Silver Pearl Chain Bracelet is a fine ball chain with three synthetic pearls, and Sense's Silver Gemstone Chain Bracelet sets small round stones either side of a single rectangular red one.
- Silver Link Bracelet
- Gold Link Bracelet
- Sterling Silver Pearl Chain Bracelet
- Silver Gemstone Chain Bracelet
Tennis Bracelets: What Makes One
A tennis bracelet is a continuous line of stones of the same size and shape, each in its own setting, joined so that the bracelet bends freely around the wrist. There is no focal point and no break in the line: that evenness is the whole effect. Look at three things. First, the settings: prongs hold each stone with little metal showing, while a bezel wraps the stone in a thin rim for a smoother edge. Second, the clasp: because a tennis bracelet is worn close and moves constantly, a safety catch is worth having. Third, the fit: it should lie flat and turn with the wrist, not hang loose.
Stroili's Sterling Silver Champagne Tennis Bracelet sets round brilliant cubic zirconia in four-prong settings on silver with a champagne finish, closed with a figure-eight safety clasp. Miluna's Silver Tennis Bracelet holds its round stones in a slim bezel. Stroili's Gold-Plated Tennis Bracelet alternates light blue and clear cubic zirconia for a touch of colour, and a second gold-plated Stroili tennis bracelet sets red and pink cubic zirconia in alternating rows.
- Sterling Silver Champagne Tennis Bracelet
- Silver Tennis Bracelet
- Gold-Plated Tennis Bracelet
- Gold-Plated Tennis Bracelet
Charm Bracelets: A Collection You Build
A charm bracelet is the most personal of all, because it is meant to change. Start with a bracelet you like on its own, then add a charm for a birthday, a place or a moment. Some arrive already dressed with several charms; others carry a single motif you can build on. Keep to one metal tone and the bracelet will look collected, however many years it takes.
Pandora's Gold-Tone Heart Charm Bracelet pairs a smooth snake chain with a heart charm and crystal accents. Rue des Mille's Rose Gold Charm Bracelet is rose gold-plated and arrives with heart, star, butterfly and animal charms. Comete's Silver Star Charm Bracelet adds a rose gold-plated star and a small initial to a crystal-set chain, and Stroili's Sterling Silver Flower Charm Bracelet hangs three flower charms set with cubic zirconia from a rolo chain.
- Gold-Tone Heart Charm Bracelet
- Rose Gold Charm Bracelet
- Silver Star Charm Bracelet
- Sterling Silver Flower Charm Bracelet
Beaded Bracelets: Colour and Texture
A beaded bracelet is light, relaxed and the simplest way to bring colour to the wrist. Pearls are the quietest choice and suit tailoring as well as weekend clothes. Glass beads bring brighter colour, and polished metal beads give texture without changing your metal. Most are strung on a cord or core, so they sit comfortably and stack well.
Majorica's Pearl Beaded Bracelet is hand-strung on a silk core with light purple and grey pearls. Dodo's Turquoise Beaded Bracelet mixes turquoise, lime and orange glass beads with a rose gold-plated toggle clasp. Guess's Silver Beaded Bracelet is made of polished metal beads with engraved rings, and Dodo's Multicolor Beaded Bracelet adds a small round charm with a blue-and-white motif.
How to Stack Bracelets
A good stack has one anchor and a few supporting pieces. Start with the boldest bracelet, a bangle, a cuff or a wider chain, then add one or two finer pieces beside it: a tennis bracelet for light, a chain for movement, a beaded bracelet for colour. Three to five pieces on one wrist is usually enough. Mix textures freely, but keep to one or two metal tones so the stack reads as a whole.
If you wear a watch, let it be the anchor. Place finer bracelets on the side away from your hand so they do not knock against the watch, and choose smooth pieces, such as a slim bangle or a fine chain, that are less likely to scratch the case. Or wear your watch on one wrist and your stack on the other.
How to Measure Your Wrist for a Bracelet
For a chain, tennis, charm or beaded bracelet, measure your wrist just above the wrist bone with a soft tape measure, or with a strip of paper you then lay against a ruler. Add about one to two centimetres for a comfortable fit: less for a bracelet that sits close, more for one that drapes. Tennis bracelets are best worn close, charm bracelets need a little extra room for the charms, and many chains have an adjustable length. For a bangle, use the hand measurement described above.
Caring for Your Bracelets
Put bracelets on after perfume, creams and hand lotion, and take them off before washing your hands, swimming or exercise. Store them separately, laid flat or in their own pouches, so links do not tangle and stones do not scratch other pieces. Beaded and pearl bracelets are best kept dry and laid flat rather than hung. Wipe silver with a soft cloth to bring back its shine, and treat plated pieces gently, with a soft, dry cloth only.
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