Sizing

Below you will find guidelines to help you choose correctly. 

BRACELETS

Measurement:

Everyone's wrist is different so it's important to measure. Some people have wrists that are virtually round and others that are perfect ovals, this can dramatically effect the way a given bracelet fits even if the measurements are accurate. I had a customer who could not wear a cuff bracelet because they seemed to need an extra large gap to get it on their wrist and then, once on, it was huge!  Through experience I have found when this happens, nine times out of ten, these people have a round wrist and oval cuffs rarely fit properly.  This situation is often found in heavier folks but is certainly not limited to them.

Existing Bracelet As Template:

The BEST place to start is with a bracelet you already own that fits you well.  If you really want to try to be accurate, trace the inside of the bracelet you own, scan it, and e-mail the image.  Doing this will give me a much more accurate idea of your wrist shape. It also means I can place a potential bracelet on top of it to get an idea of how closely they match. This is particularly important if you have a history of difficulty getting cuff bracelets to fit properly.

Additionally you should measure the bracelet so I can confirm the image I received matches.  Take a soft seamstress tape and carefully measure the inside of the bracelet from where the metal starts to where it ends making certain the tape stays completely flat along the bracelet as you measure.  This is a case where 1/16" can make a difference so take your time.  If you do not have a soft tape cut a small piece of paper about 7" long by 1/2"wide. 

There's nothing magical about these dimensions, it should be long enough to handle most men's bracelets and narrow enough to be manageable; if it is too long or short, adjust it accordingly.  If you are using the paper method you will need to mark the paper and then place it on a ruler to get the dimensions.  Once you have measured the metal, measure the gap (straight across - do not include any of the metal in the measurement). As our sizing for bracelets includes both metal measurement AND gap, you should get a pretty good idea from that alone.

Wrist Measurement:

Take a seamstress soft tape or cut a piece paper long enough to go around your wrist and approximately as wide as the bracelet you are considering.  Wrap the tape or paper around your wrist just below the wrist bone (hand side).  You want it tight but not super tight, the tape/paper has give, the bracelet likely will not.  The wider the bracelet you are thinking of getting (and less adjust-ability-see below), the more important it becomes to measure with paper the same width as the bracelet. The wider the bracelet, the more likely you will experience changes in size across the width and the greater likelihood you will need a slightly larger overall size. Please tell me if there is anything unique about your wrist, such as a particularly prominent wrist bone.  Also, if you are one of those who doesn't like your bracelet to "travel" (move up and down the wrist, above and below the wrist bone), you need to measure ABOVE the bone (elbow side) and tell me that is what you are doing.

Cuffs:

There is no universal standard for this.  Some sellers "size" their bracelets by inside measurement of the metal only, some by total measurement, neither is right or wrong. For each cuff bracelet I provide inside measurement, gap, and "size".  I base the "size" on the combined total of inside measurement and gap as you will likely be measuring your entire wrist. There are always variables involved in this so please read everything pertaining to the item you are considering purchasing. 

Dimensions:

Bracelet Width is always taken from the widest point on the piece which is usually the top.

Inside measurement is the length from beginning to end of the metal from the INSIDE of the bracelet (NOT including the opening).

Opening (Gap) is the straight across measurement of the gap between the two ends.  Most women's bracelets have a gap of 7/8" to 1".  Most men's bracelets have an gap of 1-1/4". 

Adjust-ability:

Bracelets with inlay work across the entire piece have ZERO adjust-ability - don't try, you'll ruin the bracelet; if it won't go on easily, don't force it. (See example below)  This kind of work tends to be expensive you don't want to own a broken bracelet that doesn't fit you!

Pieces with inlay on top and flexible metal sides will have a bit of adjust-ability.  I emphasize "a bit"; when the movement of the adjustment starts to impact the top, you will risk popping pieces of inlay out of the bracelet.  Adjustments need to be made exclusively from the bottom sides.  If you are unable to make it fit easily, it is the wrong size.  In the example below you can see the metal portion of the bracelet is fairly narrow AND removed from the inlay work.

Pieces that have very heavy metal work will be more difficult to adjust than those with less metal.   Below are a six bracelets viewed from the side. Moving from left to right, #1 (as already seen above) has NO adjust-ability as it has full inlay and is very thick.  #2 (the copper/silver piece) is adjustable but might require professional assistance due to the thickness of the metal (1/4".)  #3 is adjustable but the design of the bracelet could be impacted if you were to attempt too much movement.  #4 could be fairly easily adjusted from the bottom ends. Both #5 & #6 can be adjusted quite easily.  Don't over-reach though, over-adjusting a bracelet can really alter the character, you would be better off getting something closer to your actual size - no matter how much you love a specific piece. Note that #3 and #6 are much more rounded than the others.