What are you sizing?
Units
Wrap a tape or a strip of paper around the bare wrist, just below the wrist bone, snug but not tight.
Bracelet length, comfortable fit
Your wrist measurement plus the standard allowance. The three fits below are all defensible — which one you want is a preference, not a correct answer.
Snug
6.81 in
Sits against the wrist with very little movement. Suits a tennis bracelet or anything with stones that should stay facing upwards.
Comfortable
7.09 in
Moves a little but does not slide over the hand. The default for a chain bracelet, and what most shops mean by a standard fit.
Loose
7.28 in
Drapes and slides down towards the hand. Suits heavier curb chains and a deliberately relaxed look.
Where that lands against stocked lengths
| Length | In cm | Fits a wrist of |
|---|---|---|
| 6.5" | 16.5 cm | 14.0–15.2 cm |
| 7" | 17.8 cm | 15.3–16.5 cm |
| 7.5" | 19.1 cm | 16.6–17.8 cm |
| 8" | 20.3 cm | 17.8–19.0 cm |
| 8.5" | 21.6 cm | 19.1–20.3 cm |
| 9" | 22.9 cm | 20.4–21.6 cm |
Two things that change the number
A wide or chunky bracelet needs more. Anything over about 15 mm across, or a cuff with real thickness, sits higher off the wrist and eats length — add a few more millimetres. And a watch changes nothing: measure the bare wrist, then decide separately whether the bracelet is sharing the arm.
Melt value is what the metal is worth, not what a buyer pays. This is a measurement, never an appraisal.
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