What size pearls for bracelet?

[girlyglam]

I want to take advantage of a code before it expires and purchase a pearl bracelet, but I'm hesitating on the size. I have 5.5inch wrists...do you think I should go for 6.5-7mm pearls or 7.5-8mm pearls? I can't tell if there will be much of a difference between the two. Considering the smaller size because I don't want anything that looks too big, but then I keep thinking about 7.5-8mm because from what I've read, it's considered the standard size. Thoughts?

 

[pearlsngems]

The 7.5-8mm bracelet will be about 50% larger than the 6.5-7mm bracelet (using the formula for volume of a sphere to calculate it).
Still not huge pearls, mind you.

Does the larger size appeal to you?

 

[rocks]

My wrist is about 5.75 inches. I have a double strand bracelet with 6.5mm Akoyas. On a small wrist, the bracelet is bold.

 

[NacreLover]

I would head to a jewelry store and look at the pearls in stock. They may have some in the sizes you've listed in stock. At least you could judge them on the wrist.

 

[baby nurse]

I would choose the larger size but if you can look at some in a local jewelry store, that would be even better.

 

[BWeaves]

Keep in mind what you do with your hands. For example, I'm a computer programmer, so my bracelet hand is resting on my wrist all day when I type or use the mouse. A lumpy bracelet is uncomfortable. I much prefer flat bracelets. My mother has a bracelet of multiple strands of tiny pearls with diamond spacers to keep them all in a flat line.

Go to a bead store if your jewelry store does not have a wide range of pearl sizes to drape over your wrist. It doesn't matter if what you drape over your wrist is pearls as long as the size of the beads is the mm you want to see.

 

[cmd2014]

I'd vote for looking at them in person if you can. Since you're petite, smaller might look better on you, but it's hard to judge scale without actually seeing it (at least for me).

I'm on the computer/writing all day long as well, so I switched my watch to my dominant hand, and wear my bracelets on my non-dominant. I started doing this after DH bought me a Pandora bracelet and I found the charms too chunky to be comfortable otherwise. Now I do it with all my bracelets.

 

[seaurchin]

I have a white freshwater 6-7mm bracelet and a lavender freshwater 6-7mm bracelet (or 6.5-7.0mm, not sure). I also have a dyed black freshwater 8 mm bracelet that I don't have a pic of right now. Here are the lavenders and the whites, though. Mine are all double strands because I just don't think a single strand would look like much on me. But that's individual preference, of course. When I only had the smaller whites and larger blacks, I really liked both equally (with the double strands). I don't think either are too large or too small. I usually do have a preference but between these two sizes (in a double strand) I really just don't have a preference and wear both with very casual clothes as well as for dress up. If you're worried about it getting in the way when you work, I'd go for a snugger fit over worrying about the pearl size with that. I find myself pushing them up my arm where they're tighter when the bangling around gets on my nerves (as seen on the pic of the lavenders), but I haven't had any problem with banging them on things. So when I got the lavenders, I went with the smaller pearls since they were cheaper and also I think all else being equal, smaller pearls tend to have sharper luster. Anyway, here are my 6-7mm double strand bracelets. They're both from The Pearl Outlet:

 

[seaurchin]

Sorry, double post.

 

[girlyglam]

Thank you all! I think I'm going to order both sizes to see in person and return the one I decide against.

Seaurchin, the double strands are beautiful! You have me considering double strands for a next purchase already, lol.