Measure the circumference of your wrist

When purchasing a bracelet online, it is important for your convenience to choose the length of your bracelet; so that it is neither too tight around the wrist nor too loose that it wanders all over the forearm.

Once you know your wrist size, simply add an extra length of 1 to 3 cm (depending on your comfort) to find the ideal size of your flexible bracelet.

This method works for both women’s and men’s bracelets.

How to measure your wrist easily?

The first and easiest way to measure your wrist size is to use a tape measure, circled around your wrist, which gives you an exact measurement of your wrist size.

The other way is to cut a strip of paper or use a string to wrap around your wrist, where you usually wear bracelets.

Draw a pencil line on the string or paper tape, then measure the length from one line to the other with a flat ruler.

However the tape measure method is easier to implement, that’s what I recommend.

While these techniques help you choose the size of a flexible bracelet, you may need more details when purchasing a rigid, non-deformable silver or gold bracelet.

For these types of bracelets, you will need to know your wrist width and also your hand size in order to fit it into the bangle loop.

Since it is not always easy to measure your wrist width with a ruler, a good method is to determine it using your wrist size.

For women, the most common case is that the height of the wrist represents 2/3 of its width.

All that remains is to do a little calculation to discover the formula that relates the width of the wrist to its measurement of the perimeter.

2x(width + height) = perimeter (P)

2x(width+2/3 width)= P

10 x width/3=D

AS width= 10xP/3

So, if your wrist size is 17cm, the width is approximately 51mm. This formula therefore helps you quickly choose a bangle bracelet that is right for you.

To measure the circumference of your hand which must pass through the ring of the bangle or rigid bracelet, you must repeat the same operation as for the wrist.

Bend your thumb on the inside of your hand, then measure the circumference of your hand with a tape measure or strip of paper. The diameter of this is D = perimeter of the hand / 3.14.

So if the circumference of your hand measured this way is 19cm, the acceptable diameter for a bangle bracelet would be 60mm.

I bought a bracelet that is too short or too big. What can I do?

If you purchased a bracelet online or were offered a bracelet whose dimensions do not fit your body size, you can have it retouched by an artisan jeweler.

This problem occurs especially in the case of custom-made bracelets that cannot be returned or exchanged.

However, it’s easy for a good craftsman to get you out of the rut.

If your soft bracelet is leather

and it’s too short. Without a doubt the leather part will have to be redone to the right size. If the clasp is made of silver or plated metal, it will be preserved after separating the leather from the clasp.

This will be reused with the new leather strap at the correct length.

If the leather strap is too long, it will be easier. The metal fastener will be removed from the leather and will be reinstalled after the leather part is stretched. The operation is therefore relatively simple.

Leather bracelet with solid silver clasp, made by Olivier, a Breton craftsman engaged in the artisanal production of men’s leather bracelets (photo source: Made In Bretagne)

To choose the length of your leather bracelet, Olivier gives you the necessary advice here depending on whether you want your leather bracelet to be worn loose or in contact with the skin.

If your soft bracelet is silver or gold.

If it is too short, the jeweler retouching it will need to add a piece of chain or links to your bracelet.

This operation is the most delicate of all, because to add even just one centimeter of chain, the jeweler will have to provide the same type of chain or redo it himself with soldered silver wire or redo the missing links identically.

In the latter case it is a meticulous custom work, the cost of which will be prohibitive if you want to lengthen a thin commercially available silver bracelet.

If it is a gold bracelet, the operation will be more justified and the price will be consistent with the cost of the jewelry.

If your bracelet is too long, the operation is simple, the craftsman will remove the excess links to obtain the correct length.

Even if the operation seems simple, it will be essential to contact a jeweler, because after cutting, it will be necessary to solder the closing ring again.

You probably don’t have the skills and equipment to do it yourself.

It is easy to understand that lengthening such a silver bracelet by adding a link is more expensive than shortening it.

For rigid bracelets in precious metals.

Length is achieved by cutting the bracelet and adding or removing metal. In the case of size reduction the operation is very simple.

The jeweler must focus primarily on creating an invisible solder of the cut areas.

In the case of adding metal, the operation can prove more complex and expensive depending on whether we are talking about silver or gold and depending on the complexity of the bracelet design that the craftsman must reproduce.

Cutting such a bangle to size will be much more complex for the jeweler than working on a simple bangle bracelet.

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