How to Put on a Cuff Bracelet

Cuff bracelets are a wider and stiffer form of bracelet. Some are hinged with sections, while others are one piece. This bracelet is an example of an unhinged, one-piece cuff. (A bangle doesn't open and you have to slide it over your hand and onto your wrist. The pictured bracelet does have a hidden clasp, so it is a cuff--do NOT slide it over your hand!)

There is a trick to taking these cuffs on and off that will insure they last for a very long time. Treat it like a spring, rather than a hinge!

Here’s how:

1. Unlatch the clasp and open the cuff only wide enough to pass across the narrowest part of your wrist.

NOTE: A cuff isn’t a bangle--you shouldn’t try to slide it over your hand to put it on...that expands it too much. As you can see in the next photo, the cuff is extended only about 1-1/2 inches.

2. Slip the bracelet on across the narrowest part of your wrist. Rather than from the top down, slide it across from side to side (the photo shows a side view).

3. Once the cuff is around your wrist, gently slide it around so the clasp is in the correct position. The cuff illustration shows the clasp is actually at the top of the bracelet. More often, the opening will be under your wrist.

4. If the cuff has a clasp, close the clasp. It may be easier to push your wrist against your body to hold the bracelet in place while you close the clasp with your other hand.

If you overdo it:

While the frame is a thicker wire, if it is bent like a hinge, several things could happen.

a. If the bend is sharp, it can cause the frame to be misshapen. The jewelry artist might be able to straighten it somewhat, but it would never have the straight lines again.

b. If the cuff is overextended to put on and off, the wire can succumb to metal fatigue and eventually break.
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