#upsized #sizeinclusive #plus-sized jewelry
You are tired of not being able to wear the bracelets you like because they don’t fit over your hand. Or they are too small for your wrist. Or you’ve lost too many because the fit was ‘close’, and you thought you’d take a chance. You just want a large bracelet or two that fits, that looks good, that won’t be over-the-moon expensive. You want them secure on your wrist. They used to be called plus-sized bracelets or bracelets for plus-sized wrists, now they are just bracelets that fit. Up-sized, but with the right proportions.
The hand model in the feature image on this page is 5’4″. She’s a tiny thing, but she has hands that don’t fit typical bangles or bracelets. She also has a bit of arthritis in her hands and the tiny clasps are a no for her. She’s wearing an up-sized bracelet from the Dreamcatchers and Rivets collection. ( And rings from the Ring collection.)
I just want a large bracelet that fits.
That’s not too much to ask, really. Everyone should be able to find jewelry for their wrist, There are plenty available for the petite wrist, but precious little for a large wrist or hand. Sure, google ‘plus-sized bracelets’ and you will find a huge assortment of elastic-strung beads. Some with a bit of interest added, certainly. But they are nothing more than regular costume-jewelry bracelets made larger by adding a few stones to the elastic string. They aren’t silver bracelets designed to fit over a larger hand, and stay secure on a larger wrist and are actually a real piece of jewelry.
If you have larger hands, you don’t look at bangles because they almost never fit over your hand. Most decent jewelry bracelets are too small, too. Your skin gets pinched in the clasp, the bracelet sticks to the wrist —it doesn’t ‘float’, it’s uncomfortable. So you don’t even look anymore. You need a large bracelet. It’s just that simple.
What do I know that makes me a bracelet expert?
Many years ago I coveted a large link silver bracelet I saw in a jewelry store. I tried it on and it was too short. They had the same one in the men’s collection, but being proportioned much larger, and it was too overpowering on my wrist. So, as usual, I gave up.
(My wrists aren’t BIG, they are just larger than the ‘average’. Like my feet. I wear a normal width size 11 1/2. My feet aren’t wide, they are average width, just longer. Try finding nice shoes in THAT size.)
Shortly after that, I saw an ad for silversmithing classes, ‘What the heck’, I thought, ‘I’ll make the darned thing’. I took three semesters of the classes, and while I never did recreate the coveted bracelet, I learned a skill that allows me to create larger bracelets that work for us and look good too.
What I use for the bracelets and why.
I work, now, mostly with flatware, creating bracelets from re-purposed silver plate knives, forks, and spoons. Or recycled copper wire — the main element of my Really BIG collection for men. I use these repurposed materials because new silver and copper forces prices so high the pieces are out of reach of my customers.
I use silver-plated spoons to create the rings, too. These are also meant for larger hands. I can make a smaller one of some of the styles, but so can a lot of other flatware artisans out there, and I don’t think we need another website full of stuff you know you can’t wear.
This ring is a size 10, fits my middle finger, and is made from a demi-tasse spoon which is 4 1/4 inches long. It’s possible to size this up to a larger size, but if it goes any smaller, the daffodil ends up around the back.
So, there are limitations.
What we all want in a bracelet.
I just want to make beautiful up-sized bracelets, yes large bracelets, for women and men. I know that I, personally, don’t want a bracelet made on an elastic cord — the cord stretches between the beads, and that shows. Of course, too, there is the issue of the stretch changing, and beads slamming together and pinching the skin. An up-sized bracelet like I make for larger hands and wrists is a real piece of jewelry, made with lead-free and nickel-free components, and they are made to last.
I also wanted bracelets that are easy to open and close. A large hand often has a few issues trying to operate a tiny lobster claw. I get ticked off when I have to do that, so all my women’s pieces have a very strong magnetic closure which will actually close itself.
I wanted a bracelet that won’t fall off if the clasp failed for some reason. With a magnetic clasp — even the really good ones like I use — there is the risk of the magnet pulling apart. Hence the safety chains. The magnet may release, but the chain keeps the bracelet on your wrist.
The chains are either silver, silver-filled, or aluminum wire. That’s because most other jewelry safety chains are magnetic whereas these three elements (and gold, of course) are not. You don’t want your chain wrapped around the magnet. Ask me how I know this.
If you have a piece of flatware you’d like up-cycled, contact me. Let’s create something wonderful for you.
So, that’s the story.
Off you go to the shop... If you don’t see something you like, email me, let’s discuss.