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A bracelet is a classic jewel, there are thousands of bracelet designs available
and they fall into a few design themes. You will find plain bracelets with no
gemstones or diamonds and also gemstone bracelets. Including a few gemstones in
a gold or sterling bracelet can enhance the beauty and meaning of the jewel. It
is also possible to combine gemstones of different colors in bracelets, this
further opens up some interesting options. For example, you could gift a mothers
bracelet that includes the birthstones of all the family members. People often
select certain gemstones believing that the gems have some special properties.
For example, a carnelian bracelet can bring peace and calm to the person wearing
the bracelet. An onyx bracelet is believed to help a person overcome personal
grief and tragedy. It is not uncommon to find gold or 925 silver bracelets that
combine gemstones with such properties. It is tempting to choose a bracelet based
solely on it's price tag and external beauty. You should know that a few more
features should be evaluated before finally choosing a bracelet. Metal weight,
type of clasp used to lock the bracelet, type of mounting used for the gemstones
and the type of gemstones are some issues that need to be considered. The next
paragraph contains information regarding other features of bracelets that need
to be evaluated.
Good metal weight is very essential to create a sturdy and long lasting bracelet.
Lightweight bracelets might be cheap but, they will also be flimsy and might break
easily. A gemstone bracelet would have more than one gemstone, sturdy mounting of
the gems will require sturdy prongs or have the entire gemstone bordered with metal.
It is common for jewelers to compromise on metal weight and create gold and silver
bracelets with feeble gemstone mountings. Such gimmicks are done to gain mass
markets with attractive prices but, do not work in the interest of the buyer.
It is true that high gold prices can make a sturdy gold bracelet quite expensive,
if this is beyond your budget choose a sterling silver bracelet instead. It is not
difficult to spot flimsy silver bracelets, so a custom bracelet might be your best
option. A bracelet is basically assembled by putting a number of links (segments)
together, bad craftsmanship, inferior design and insufficient metal weight can
cause a bracelet to snap (break) at the links. Such a bracelet could break to
pieces when you least expect, you might be lucky to be able to collect the pieces
together but repairs would be expensive. Another important thing that you should
check for your bracelet is the clasp. Some clasps are thin and sharp edged, they
can damage delicate skin on the fingers and this could be painful. You might also
come across clasps that open up at the slightest jerk, avoid them as you risk your
bracelet dropping off. Certain soft gems like kayanite and apatite should not be
used for bracelets, the wear and tear on the bracelet could cause such gems to
scratch or break. Let your jeweler guide you regarding such technical details.
We have provided a few useful and interesting links to bracelet related information
below, spend some time understanding the content. It could help you make the right
decision by evaluating various bracelets based on features rather than being
swayed by sales hype.
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