How to Buy A Bracelet
By Ettagale Blauer
There are different types of bracelets as well as styles and materials. The term bracelet usually refers to a flexible piece of jewelry, one that drapes softly around the wrist. A well fitting bracelet should be loose enough to be comfortable and not put pressure on your wrist yet snug enough so it does not slide too far down onto your hand.
A bangle is a slender, rigid circlet that seems to float along the wrist as the wearer moves her arm. Bangles are usually narrow and are often worn in pairs or trios. Some women like to collect bangles and mass them together to form a glimmering entity that creates its own music as they clink together. A bangle may be an endless circle or it may be hinged to make it easier to put on.
A cuff is a wide, rigid bracelet that may take the form of a circlet with a hinged opening, or it may embrace only three quarters of the wrist, leaving an opening to allow it to be put on. If you've chosen a wide cuff bracelet, there's a trick to getting it on your wrist. Don't try to put it on from the top of your wrist. Instead, turn your arm 90 degrees so the thumb is facing up. Now place the open end of the bracelet on the narrow part of your wrist and gently ease it on and around your wrist. To remove the cuff, reverse the process.
Mesh bracelets and chain link bracelets as
well as free-form floral bracelets are among the many other
types of bracelet designs. They range in diameter from narrow to wide and may
lie flat against the wrist or have a circular design. They may be fashioned
from a flexible, circular mesh that terminates in decorated ends.
Diamond Tennis Bracelets
Diamond Bracelets
Sterling Silver Bracelets
Pearl Bracelets
Sometimes a 'terminal' is a place to catch a train but when we speak of a bracelet's terminals, we have in mind the details that finish off the open ends of the piece. A bracelet with a flexible shank may be open at the ends, allowing it to be slipped on and off easily, yet still be secure on your wrist. The terminals are a principal design element of the bracelet. In addition to the artistic working of the metal, they may be set with colored gems, usually cabochons. These tips are so pretty, you may want to wear the bracelet with the open end on the upper part of your wrist, to show them off. The other choice is to turn the open ends to the inner part of the wrist, and just let them flash a bit of color as you move your arm this way and that. These terminals may overlap a bit, crossing over each other. Crossover design bracelets sometimes continue all the way around your wrist to form another coil, creating a double or triple bracelet look. The flexibility of the mesh used to create the circlet makes it possible to slip the bracelet on and off.
Bracelet designers have devised a variety of ways to open the bracelet to put it on and then close it securely around your wrist. There may be a clasp or a spring ring; the bracelet may be hinged or have a hidden device that allows you to put the bracelet on and take it off. Whatever method the designer has chosen, the device should be unobtrusive and in harmony with the bracelet. Most bangle bracelets have internal clasps, often a tongue and groove device that is beautifully hidden from view. Flexible bracelets may close with an over-lapping clasp that is integrated into the overall design of the piece. A secure closure is important since bracelets are subject to more wear and tear than any other piece of jewelry.
Choose to Suit Your Style
There's no need to restrict yourself to just one type of bracelet. Different types are suitable for the many different occasions in your life where you're wearing very different kinds of clothes. They cover a wonderful multitude of styles and designs. Take a look at your wardrobe: what kinds of jacket or dress sleeves do you usually wear? If the answer is slim and fitted, your bracelet should be chosen with that proportion in mind.
Do you like blouses with frilly cuffs? Consider a lacy bracelet, or perhaps an antique bracelet from the Victorian era. Are your clothes more tailored? Then choose an elegant bracelet in gold, or flush-set with diamonds. Color, of course, plays a major role in choosing a bracelet. You can match up colored gemstones set in collets and linked together with white or yellow gold.
A few basic rules also apply in matching up bracelet and wearer. A very slender wrist and arm will look best with a narrower bracelet, or an open-work design that gives a light and airy appearance. An average wrist and arm can support most any style. A wider wrist or heavier arm looks best with a bolder bracelet, one that has enough substance to command attention and balance the size of the wearer's arm and wrist.
There are some signature style bracelets that go well with nearly any type of outfit and just about any woman's personal style. One such wearable wonder is the tennis bracelet, worn memorably by tennis champion Chris Evert, hence the name. This simple yet very elegant bracelet may feature a row of circular diamonds set in prongs or a series of channel set baguette and round diamonds. The tennis bracelet is one of those pieces of jewelry that some women just wear all the time, like a wedding band. It can vary in importance according to the size of the diamonds. For a casual, easy to wear, everyday kind of tennis bracelet, choose small diamonds set in yellow gold. For a major statement, and especially for evening, choose a platinum or white gold bracelet set with large stones. The tennis bracelet is definitely a contemporary classic.
Charm bracelets have been in and out of style through the decades. They were popular with movie stars of the l950s as well as high school girls of that era but they re-emerge periodically to capture our attention. The charm bracelet starts with a classic link, as narrow or wide as the wearer chooses. These links will support the charms as they are added to the bracelet. The charms dangle from the links, spaced out to create a harmonious design. As charms are added, the spaces grow smaller. Over the years, the wearer creates a personal piece of jewelry that reflects the important occasions of her life. Multitudes of designs in the shape of objects or symbols, often engraved with significant dates, spell out the landmark moments of the wearer's life. Charms may be added to any link bracelet. If this is your ultimate goal, choose one with links that are large enough to support the charms and solid enough to balance the added weight and volume of the charms.
