Wearable Length: How to Measure for a Bracelet

Being a 5'9" plus sized woman most of my adult life, I've had my share of frustrations trying to find bracelets that fit.  Every bracelet seems to be 7" long.  That's great for some styles, but others won't even go around my wrist - and it's now just 6 1/2" in circumference.  It defies logic that a 7" bracelet won't fit a 6 1/2" wrist.  Or does it?? 

I generally use my own wrist as a guide when creating (6 1/2") which serves two functions: I get to see how much longer I need to make the bracelet, and I get to try them on to see how gorgeous they look (or not, but that's a whole other blog *hehe*)  I customize everything to fit my clients, most of whom are out of state or even out of the country, so I need to get it right the first time when measuring the finished product.  So I always ask for the actual wrist circumference.

You can get a measurement of your wrist by using a soft measuring tape or by measuring the inside of your your best fitting watch. If you don't have a soft measuring tape, you can wrap a ribbon or a piece of string around your wrist at the wrist bone, mark the spot where it meets, and then measure it with a ruler to determine your wrist size. To get the best fit, measure snug at the wrist bone.  Your bracelet size is your wrist circumference plus 1/2 to 1 inch, depending on how snug you like to wear your bracelet.  

When creating a bracelet, I always ask for the client's wrist circumference.  I use a bracelet mandrel that has graduated sizes from 4" to 9" in circumference.  Once I know the client's actual wrist measurement, I measure it against the mandrel and adjust accordingly.  Why?  Depending on how the bracelet is made, it could be 3 inches longer than the person's wrist and still fit perfectly!!

Here's a perfect example.  The bracelet in the photo above is 9" long.  If someone said, I have an 8" wrist, you'd think that this bracelet would fit, right?  Not so!  The 9" bracelet in the photo fits loosely on the 5 3/4" wrist of the hand model.  How can that be?  The links are 3/4" thick which makes the wearable length much shorter than the measurement of the bracelet.  I'm sure there's a mathematical formula for calculating this, but I don't know it.  

So the next time you order a custom made bracelet online, be sure to tell the artist your actual wrist circumference so she can create the perfect fit for you!!

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