Men's silver bracelets: types, selection and wearing rules

The history of men's bracelets is quite interesting - in ancient times, wide metal rings around the wrist protected the warrior's hands from blows. Silver bracelets were held in high esteem, which princes and other nobles could afford. The rest of the soldiers wore bracelets made from more readily available materials. Thus, the silver protection has also become a symbol of the nobility, of noble origin.

Today, bracelets have ceased to be an element of protection, but have become an element of a man's style and serve aesthetic purposes. As a precious metal, silver is very popular, however, it looks less pretentious compared to gold. As a rule, silver bracelets are chosen by men who consider gold counterparts too noticeable.

Many people associate gold bracelets and chains with jewelry of the “new Russians” of the 90s and absolute bad taste. With such reflections, silver counterparts are seen as more graceful, noble and do not have the "tarnished reputation" of gold. A feature of male models is their severity, brevity and massiveness. Unlike women's counterparts, jewelry is created from larger links, which affects the weight, massiveness and design of products.

Men's jewelry is longer, which is associated with a larger girth of a man's wrist compared to a woman's. In terms of design and decorative elements, jewelry for a strong half of humanity is more ascetic.

Models of silver bracelets can be of different thickness - from rather thin (one link weaving) to massive. A medium-width bracelet is considered universal. It suits most men and will be appropriate in most situations. It is this medium-thick bracelet that is considered trendy. The fashion accessory is presented in most collections of jewelry houses and couturiers.

And here a thick and wide analogue is less and less common... An exception is an original product made to order from silver of the highest standard. In this case, preference should be given not to chain weaving, but to armor (consists of plates connected to each other). The design of the product is largely determined by the type of weaving. We talk about this in more detail in a separate chapter just below.

Also, the presence or absence of decor affects the appearance of jewelry. These can be precious and semi-precious stones, gilding, the inclusion of elements from other materials in the silver weaving, etc. Believing men can recommend an Orthodox bracelet. As a rule, this product is in the form of a chain with a plate on which "Save and Save" is engraved. You can buy such a bracelet in the church shop.

Today, stylish men's silver bracelets in a variety of designs can be found in the collection of almost every jewelry manufacturer. If these options are not to your liking, you can order the production of a bracelet from a private jeweler... Handicrafts allow you to emphasize the individuality of the owner, demonstrate his good taste.

Bracelets, and any jewelry, are not made of pure silver due to its high softness. To eliminate this property, other metals are mixed with silver, usually copper.Depending on the percentage of silver in the product, it is classified and attributed to a particular sample.

The highest quality and most expensive products have 925 test, which means that it contains 925 parts (or 92.5%) of silver and 75 parts (otherwise - 7.5%) of copper. This silver is called sterling silver.

Products of this sample (and only they) can be covered with the thinnest galvanic coating. This practically does not affect the appearance of the product, since the thickness of the gold plating is tens of microns. High quality and attractive appearance are products 916 samples... Silver is somewhat inferior in quality 875 samples... It can turn black during operation, requires more frequent periodic cleaning.

More affordable is silver 800 and 750. The percentage of copper content in them is higher, however, jewelry from such material is rarely made, mainly cutlery. Silver 720 also used in the manufacture of jewelry, but these are already low-quality products. Such bracelets do not have the cold metallic luster of the "moonstone", but rather look yellowish. They quickly become covered with an oxide film. We should also highlight blackened silver, which imitates antique items. It is obtained by adding sulfur to silver.

All silver items can be divided into 2 groups depending on the features of their construction and design.

• Soft:
  • chain, that is, representing a chain around the wrist, made in a particular weaving technique;
  • glider - products in which the constituent elements are connected by means of springs or hinges;
  • wicker - look like openwork products.

• Hard:
  • closed - represent a rather wide ring of an unregulated size, worn through the wrist;
  • spring - they are all the same ring, the 2 halves of which are connected by springs, which provides a simpler dressing of the product and its tight fit to the hand;
  • articulated - arranged like a spring, however, 2 parts of the decoration are connected by a hinge.

The most popular are chain products. There are many weaving techniques, let's get to know the most popular ones.

The name indicates that this type of weaving exactly repeats the technology for creating anchor chains. Such bracelets are laconic in design, look simple and style, and also have increased strength characteristics. The anchor chain is assembled from round or oval links of the same size.

Sometimes 2 elements (circle or oval) are connected in pairs at once, then they talk about double anchor weaving. If instead of links of the classical form, rectangles or squares are taken, then Venetian anchor weaving is obtained. It can also be double.

If ideally even circles act as links, then the technique is called roll. It is clear that when these circles are connected in pairs - we have a double roll or garibaldi. The links can be additionally reinforced with a lintel - marine anchor weaving. Finally, there is a cord anchor chain, in which the links are not connected in series, but with the preservation of some spacing. The result is that the chain is twisted around its axis.

This weaving is considered classic for men's bracelets and allows you to get massive jewelry of increased strength. The technique is considered complex and jewelers who own it will definitely not be left without work. Hence the higher cost of products in such weaving.

Bismarck is not about a strict sequence of connecting links, but about the skill of the master and the wishes of the client. In the classic version, the Bismarck is 2 spiral curls that form one link. However, there is also a triple Bismarck with three curls.

If you need a thinner and more elegant product, you should pay attention to a type of technique called semi-volume. Here, the thickness of each link is equal to the width of the bracelet or slightly less. An intricate pattern of links, reminiscent of Arabic letters that are intertwined with each other, is called calico (or Arabic weaving).

The links in the royal weaving of Bismarck are also fantastically connected. Due to this, the finished product has a complex pattern. This flat bracelet is woven using the technique of the same name. In many ways, this technique is similar to the classical one, however, the spiral link has 2 curls, due to which the bracelet fits on the hand with its entire width and looks flat.

An unusual technique that can be confused with the Byzantine (a kind of Bismarck weaving). However, connoisseurs will never make such a mistake. The peculiarity of weaving "Fox tail" is the use of links of different diametersthat can have multiple versions of the connection. As a result, an interesting pattern is formed, the product gains increased strength. A prerequisite for this type of weaving is the direction of the links in one direction, which makes the finished product strict and solid.

This technique was originally considered a subspecies of Bismarck weaving, which is due to the similarity of the manufacturing techniques of the product. However, over time, jewelers began to consider the American woman independent. Externally, the bracelet in this technique resembles the body of a snake - tightly fitting links to each other. Another association is military chain mail. As a rule, the links of such jewelry are diamond cut, due to which they begin to shine and flash when light hits them. It is difficult to think of a more stylish and masculine jewelry for strong (especially tanned) male hands.

Thick bracelet, which is due to weaving in 2 layers. That is, the chains are located as if one under the other, which provides massiveness and increased strength. In addition to wicker bracelets, silver bracelets are also in demand. They are made up of individual segments (usually rectangular or square) connected to each other. Since the elements themselves are flat, the bracelet also lies wide on the hand, does not twist. The product looks laconic and restrained.

If you need something completely different in style, consider figaro or cartier... Weaving is a combination of links of different sizes that are intertwined. As a result, the effect is created that the smaller ones are enclosed in the larger links.

The bracelet, into which various beads from other materials (stones, wood), as well as leather elements are woven, is called Charm. This model is often chosen by young and creative men - each of the elements of the bracelet often means one or another event in their life. A bracelet made of silver beads also looks stylish and dynamic and suits young active men. Often, beads vary in size or are combined with elements made of wood, other metals, or stone.

For the stylish and daring, consider the Bangle option - this is a ring, the ends of which do not close together. A pattern or drawing on silver can be used as a decoration. Undoubtedly, this piece of jewelry is an element of the casual style, as well as an accessory for artistic natures. For brutal men, you can choose a Harley Davidson bracelet that visually resembles a motorcycle chain.

Men's bracelets usually do not have numerous decorative elements, however, they can have inserts of precious and semi-precious stones.As a rule, this is one or a minimum number of large stones with clear edges. Or small inserts of onyx, cubic zirconia, sapphires. The same silver plate, enclosed in a chain (similar to Orthodox bracelets) or an insert "black card" can be used as a decoration. Silver goes well with leather elements, and it can be both beads, tassels, and various "braids" of leather strips.

Engraving is usually done on bracelets that are presented as a gift. However, if you wish, you can also make engraving on your own bracelet (not a gift). A commemorative inscription or the necessary symbols can be applied in almost any jewelry workshop. The process does not take long.

Affordable and high-quality bracelets are produced by domestic brands, including Almaz-Holding. In the line of the manufacturer there are many bracelets-chains; the "Python" with rhodium plating is very popular. In the collection of the SOKOLOV jewelry house, one of the most popular models is a chain product with diamond facets, 925 sterling silver.

A large selection of silver men's bracelets is produced by the Bronnitsky Jewelry Factory. Most of all in the collection of products with weaving "bismarck". Products can be purchased only in brand stores. In general, silver wrist jewelry for men is produced by many domestic companies, such as Kristall, Ural Jewelry Factory, Ural Jewelry Factory, Silver of Russia, and Moscow Jewelry Factory.

When choosing a product, you should correlate its thickness and design with the dimensions of a man. For thin men, a more elegant piece of jewelry of small or medium thickness will be the best solution. However, on the hand of a large person, it will most likely be "lost." It is better to choose a more massive and wider model. The men's bracelet should fit snugly enough to the arm. Its length is 1-1.5 cm longer than the girth of the arm. Otherwise, the bracelet will look careless, there is a high probability of catching it and tearing it.

Before buying, it is worth evaluating the quality of the fastener, the strength of the links. It is best to do this using a magnifying glass. This will also allow you to see scuffs and scratches on the surface of the silver, if any.

Please make sure the silver is genuine before purchasing. This is indicated by a sample, you can take additional advice from a jeweler. A magnet will help to carry out the simplest test - silver does not magnetize to it. In addition, this metal is characterized by good thermal conductivity - it heats up quickly if you hold it in your hands.

The highest sample of the material is indicated by its darkening when reacting with certain substances, for example, with chalk. If you rub the silver with chalk (preferably on the wrong side of the jewelry), it will darken. Similarly, you can conduct a test using iodine, however, stains from it are more difficult to remove than from chalk.

A combination of a silver bracelet with a business suit is considered a classic. It is better if it is a fairly wide and noticeable accessory. However, silver is less pompous and formal in comparison with gold, which means that a bracelet made of it will harmoniously fit into any look - from business looks to casual and sports style. The looser a man's everyday style is, the more unusual a bracelet can be. Woven silver items with leather inserts, bracelets made of silver beads, etc. are well suited for loose shirts and jeans.

If you like silver in combination with precious stones, stylists recommend that the latter be in the tone of silver or have graphite and black shades. Minimalism is in fashion, so the desire for excessive decor is not good. Well, if a man is not afraid of experiments and has a positive attitude towards the stones in the bracelet, you can consider buying a silver product with a turquoise insert. It looks unusual and, by the way, is a trend.

When it comes to combining jewelry with other accessories, it is important to strive for minimalism. A combination of gold and silver on one hand is inadmissible. If we are talking about a gold watch and a silver bracelet, it is better not to put them together (even on different hands). If a man wears a gold wedding ring, then it is better to "transfer" the jewelry on his wrist to his left hand. A watch and a bracelet of the same style and material can be worn on one hand, but the width of the jewelry should not exceed the width of the watch buckle.

For an overview of the men's silver bracelet, see the following video.