I want to start making bangle bracelets… I actually made two
today, how ever, I made them too small and had to hammer them like
crazy to get them to fit. Is there an average size for bangle
bracelets that is pretty standard? I know regular bracelets are
pretty standard at 7 and 7.5" but I can’t find info on bangle sizing.
Thanks so much!
I make bangles too. I just use the ones I own already for an average
size. Ideally, you want to ‘work’ them on but without too much
forcing (you don’t want them too loose either).
Hello Terri,
You asked about average size for bangle bracelets? I’ve found the
size varies just like ring sizes do. To help me take orders for a
properly-sized round bangle, I got several feet of that brass alloy
(sold as a gold look-alike) in a standard half-round wire about 3mm
wide. Then I cut lengths of the wire, each a quarter inch longer
than the last, beginning with 6.5 inches and going up to 9.5 inches.
Then I scribed the measured length on the flat side and soldered each
length into a bangle and rounded it. When all the varying sized
bangles are held together with a key ring, you have a set of bangles
with wire length already determined.
When your order is for a different sized wire, after your client has
found the best fit, you record the proper bangle size (I record that
length I scribed in the sizer). Then it’s simple to take that sizer
and put it on your bracelet mandrel, mark the mandrel with a Sharpie,
and use that reference mark to form the bangle to size. Remove the
mark with rubbing alcohol.
Another tip from Judy’s Dungeon in Kansas, where we had a dilly of a
hail storm last Monday. There’s a baseball-sized hail stone in the
freezer, along with two more only slightly smaller. Thank goodness
the area affected by the storm was pretty small!
to measure bangle size you scrunch your hand like your getting into
one and measure with a cloth tape measure around widest point, or
measure across your scrunched hand across at widest point with a
flat scale (ruler), which gives you the diameter(D). D multiplied by
PI(3.14) = circumference (length around hand), D x 3.14 = C
Get yourself a bangle gauge. The following link shows a composite
photo of one, both open and closed. I’ve had for many many years.
I’m sure you can figure out how its used.
Regards, Gary Wooding
I make a lot of bangles in wood. Most are 3/8" wide so they are a
bit wider than metal bangles.
I make sizes from 2 BC" dia ( 7" circ.) all the way up to 2 " dia.
(8.64" circ.). It really depends on the person. I sell a lot to
older women who have arthritis and need a larger size. I wholesale to
California where the average size seems to be 2 3/8" dia. (7.46"
circ.). I made several sets of sizing rings to use. I give them to
stores that sell my jewelry. You can have some laser cut from
acrylic for a very fair price. Don’t source out the job to any big
company. Look for small operators that have a laser. I have a list I
can give you of some I use if you are interested.
Next time you are in the stores shopping, take a set of calipers and
measure a few to get an idea of what is “Average”. Many of my sales
are to women that can’t find bangles in stores because their hands
are too small or too large.
Mark
G’day: The method I used for years in bangle/bracelet/ring sizing is
foolproof. Give the customer a 12 inch length of 22SWG (or
thereabouts) iron florist’s wire or any very flexible wire. Tell them
to wrap it once around the finger. wrist, ankle. etc and twist it to
produce a loop that allows the body part to slip it easily on or off,
but the right size to allow it to remain in place in ordinary use.
Take the wire loop and use a pair of nippers (not necessarily
twins!?) to cut it away from the twist. Straighten it out and lay it
on the bench… You can either measure the length or cut off a length
of silver, gold, whatever, exactly the same length plus the thickness
of the material to be used. This way gives a precise length to form
the article with no confusing metric/British scales to mess things up
like NASA did. I’m numerically challenged too.
Cheers for now,
JohnB of NZ
I make bangle bracelets from copper wire. 4, 6, & 8 gauge that I get
from the hardware store (sorry, but this source works well for me). I
cut the 4 gauge 9 inches and use the vise to bend as it is very thick
and strong. Try one of the 6 gauge at 9 inches, but you might want to
make that one at 8.75 or 8.5 inches. With the 8 gauge, start with 8.5
inches. With smaller gauges (12 & 14) 8 inches work very well. I was
also advised to use a baseball bat as the mandrel…just having
a lot of trouble finding that exact diameter that I want. Hope this
helps you. I understand that all wire sizes are the same gauges so if
you use another metal these measurements should still work for you.
I am very much a newbie to jewelry making and most of my work is
wire wrapping with copper exclusively, but I have learned so much
about the soldering from this group.
Also as a nature photographer with a degree in Visual
Arts-Photography, I have really enjoyed all the posts about
photographing jewelry. Studio photography (of any sort) is an art
form of it’s own.
Betty Ott aka Boopster of Boop Photo and CopperWorks
Hey John Burgess…Long time no hear. Hope all is well down under.
Nice to hear from you now and then. Yes, that NASA thing was a bit of
a mess, eh.
Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple elegance
IS fine jewelry!