We are all so wonderfully different, we wear jewellery so differently that sizing jewellery is important. And I have yet to meet an “average” person despite knowing that there are some lengths of necklaces and bracelets that will fit not most but many people.

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Necklace Sizing

Before getting into the actual sizing, there are different types and length categories of “necklaces”. By “types” I mean whether something is a “necklace” (worn attached and “as is”), a “rope” (worn attached and wrapped once or more) or a lariat (unattached and usually worn knotted). By length categories I refer to how necklaces fit on our necks or where they end up hanging on us. For the latter, ropes and lariats are rather “freestyle” but “necklaces” have these commonly used names…

• collars - worn snug to the neck (usually described as under 15”)
• chokers - worn to reach just above the collar bone (usually described as 15 or 16”)
• princess - worn to hang just below the collar bone (usually described as 18”)
• matinee - worn to hang to the breast area (usually described as 24”)
• opera - worn to hang below the breast area (usually described as 28” and over)

I added the lengths usually associated with the categories above for informational purposes only. In my experience, these lengths are incredibly rough guidelines and rarely work for a single of us. This is why I usually work “lengths” from the other way round. I start by finding out where someone wants a particular necklace to hang (and whether or not there is a collar or turtleneck “involved”). Then I adjust the necklace to that length.

A difference of half an inch can make or break a look. The differences in our heights, the differences in where our height is and certainly the differences in our breasts (even in our own across time) changes everything. And, whether we are conscious of it or not, current “style” also has quite an impact on our sense of aesthetic. So… I highly suggest finding your own “measures” (sort of again “now”) and working with them. And, if you use a string for this, make sure that you stretch it taut given that necklaces hang more in their weight than does most string.

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Bracelet Sizing

Where necklaces vary quite significantly in overall length, bracelets rarely do. Most of us wear a bracelet somewhere between 6-1/2 inches long and 9-1/2 inches long. But… the exact measurement for our arm and our preference for the “looseness” or “snugness” of a particular bracelet is important. So… again… I suggest measuring your wrist or measuring the length of your favourite bracelet to find your size. If you use a string, make sure to leave even “slack” to allow for the thickness (and some to room to move) of an actual bracelet. (When people err, the tendency seems to be that necklaces are “measured” too long and bracelets too tight.)

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Ring Sizing

There is almost no way beyond using a ring sizer to find your proper (and current) ring size. And, notably, there are ring sizers for thin/regular bands and there are ring sizers for wider bands. Stopping off at your local jeweller’s or at the jewellery counter of your favourite department store to learn what your current ring size(s) doesn’t take long and is worth the comfort of any next purchases. (It also thwarts a bunch of potential disappointment which is always a good thing :o)

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Earring “Sizing”

You might be surprised to see this here but wire hooks and posts come in different thicknesses. The smaller the gauge of wire is, the thicker it is and the thicker the wire is, the larger the ear hole becomes. That written, with the normal stretching that happens with earring weight, time and rounded hooks in particular, gauge doesn’t matter all that much to adult ears but for the younger of us, I would recommend looking for 21 or 22 guage wire posts (first choice) and hooks (second choice).

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