The Bracelet is a Fun and Exciting Piece of Jewelry for Most Outfits

The jewelry category of bracelets can range from an inexpensive, eye-catching bangle purchased from the local clothing shop to an 18-karat gold, diamond-studded cuff bracelet for a formal dinner party and anything in-between. There are many different variations on the bracelet theme, ranging from classic styles to trendy pieces.

Both men and women wear bracelets, and some wear multiple bracelets at once. There is truly something for everyone in this jewelry category with the variety of styles and materials used to create new, trendy or classic looks for consumers.

To know more about bracelets, many consider the following factors when making a buying or gift choice of this popular jewelry staple.

Bracelet Styles

The array of available bracelet styles is so vast that it’s hard to cover all of them. The following categories can help quite a bit, especially for people looking for ideas about all the choices to consider.

First, the most basic style decision concerns how often the user will wear the bracelet. Some items need to be made with durable materials and a style that complements most outfits and withstands everyday wear. Other bracelets can have a lot of decorative flair for that upcoming holiday party but don’t need to go with everything or withstand daily wear.

Next, bracelet styles often fall into a few design categories: refined or minimalist, freeform, and even flamboyant. For example, when thinking of refined, imagine a bracelet with a delicate gold chain, carrying a tiny heart-shaped charm with a small inset ruby. On the other hand, imagine a highly decorative wide bracelet with dozens of flashy, sparkly gems and lengths of chain and feathers wound all around the cuff edges.

Consider the bracelet’s style of fit and construction. Cuff bracelets fit snugly around the wrist without much movement. Other bracelets fit more loosely and move up and down on the wrist. Some bracelets are narrow and delicate, while others have several bracelets or strands of chain attached to form one thicker bracelet.

Another style category concerns the reason for wearing a bracelet. It might serve as a simple addition to jeans and a tee-shirt. It could be a statement piece, with a large, smooth jade stone, worn with an elegant suit to the office. Some bracelets have another use, such as watches that come with bands that include charms or beaded bracelets, for example, giving a fashionable look without looking overly cluttered. Other double-duty bracelets include the popular paracord bracelets. Hikers and campers use these colorful yet useful items as a convenient way to carry rope that they unravel if needed.

Many people love to purchase bracelets for gifts, including dressy pieces to wear out to dinner or sentimental pieces to honor a mother, a grandmother, or a sister. Bracelet styles for men often consist of clean lines and designs, with a close fit and construction of materials such as leather or metal. They can also fit into any design and style categories mentioned above.

Tips for Using Bracelets Right

It’s hard to go wrong when wearing bracelets, especially when people choose pieces they love or ones that make them feel good. However, some helpful guidelines exist for those who want their bracelets to make a fashion statement or compliment an outfit.

• Less is more: Be careful not to go overboard on the accessories. One bracelet works fine with earrings and a necklace but wearing a stack of bracelets looks better as a focal point without competing with a necklace and flashy earrings.
• Mix and match: Try wearing three or four bracelets and choose one unifying trait, such as the same color stones or beads. Be careful when mixing metals such as gold and silver. In many cases, keeping the metals in the same color family keeps the look from becoming chaotic. Try adding variation with chunky and thin styles or beaded and plain.
• Length of sleeves: This matters because those bracelets won’t get the attention they deserve if hidden under long sleeves. Consider three-quarter length sleeves and take care not to wear fabrics that snag easily if the bracelets have any potential for snagging.
• Comfort: Jewelry can add so much to an outfit, but when it’s too heavy, too tight, itchy, too loose, or too chunky, a bracelet can become annoying and end up in the drawer quickly.

Common Materials

Like bracelets exist in so many styles, they also come in various materials. At a high level, many pieces fall into one of three broad material categories: costume, semi-precious, or precious. This classification refers mainly to the materials used to construct the accessory, not its style.

Costume bracelets come in various metals, from bent or wrapped wire to cast-metal pieces and more. Some costume jewelry bracelets involve textiles, such as silk cord, leather or suede strips, plastic, silicone, or hard resin material. Many costume bracelets have cotton, polyester, or plastic-type wire strung with various beads to create a sparkly, attractive piece.

Some designers use semi-precious metals such as plated gold or sterling silver metals, gold or silver-filled metals, or copper. Handmade bracelets often use bronze, brass, copper, or stainless steel.

Semi-precious metal bracelets may contain decorative semi-precious stones such as quartz, jasper, or turquoise. They might also include synthetic or lesser-quality precious stones such as opals, amethyst, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, or diamonds.

Finally, some bracelets are built to last, made of precious metals. Some of these valuable pieces even get passed down from one generation to another. This category could include cuff or looser styles, casual or dressy, and with or without gemstones.

Typical precious metals used include yellow, white, or rose-colored gold, sterling silver, or platinum. Bracelets of these metals often have embellishments of better-quality diamonds, rubies, or emeralds, for example. Other precious stones in use include tanzanite, aquamarine, and pearls.