Almost every sizing question we get comes from the same mix-up: the number on a bracelet listing is the length of the bracelet, while the number on our size selector is your wrist. They are never the same value — a bracelet has to be longer than the wrist it sits on, or it will not go over your hand.
Measure the wrist, not the bracelet
Wrap a soft tape measure around your wrist just below the wrist bone, where a watch would sit. Keep it snug against the skin but do not pull it tight, and do not leave a gap you could slide a finger under. Read the number in centimetres, rounded to the nearest half.
If you do not have a soft tape, use a strip of paper or a piece of string, mark where it meets, then lay it flat against a ruler. Two attempts are better than one: measure twice, and if the numbers differ, take the larger.
Why the bracelet is longer than the wrist
A bracelet has to clear the widest part of your hand. On a bead bracelet that clearance is created by the beads themselves: each bead adds its own diameter to the loop the strand makes around your wrist. In practice, a 15 cm wrist in 8 mm beads takes a strand of roughly 17.5 cm — about 21 beads — and it will still feel snug rather than loose.
This is also why the bead size changes the count. The same 15 cm wrist takes about 18 beads in 10 mm and about 15 in 12 mm. Bigger beads mean fewer of them, but the strand stays close to the same overall fit. Our builder does this arithmetic for you as you choose.
Choosing between two sizes
- Snug — the bracelet rests just above the wrist bone and does not slide down over the hand. Most people prefer this for everyday wear.
- Relaxed — it drops about a centimetre down the arm and moves as you move. Choose one size up if you dislike the feel of a bracelet sitting still.
- In between — take the larger size. It is much easier to take a bracelet in than to let it out.
If you get it wrong
You will not be stuck with it. Every bracelet comes with free size changes within 60 days: send it back, tell us the size you need, and we re-string it at no charge for the work. You cover the postage to us and we cover the postage back. The full terms are on our alterations page.
The short version
Measure snugly below the wrist bone, in centimetres, twice. Choose that number on the product page — not the bracelet length. Let the builder work out the bead count. If you are between sizes, size up, and if it still is not right, we will fix it.