CuffBracelets

A cuff bracelet is a rigid bracelet with an open back, a band of metal shaped into most of a circle with a gap left at the underside of the wrist. You turn it onto the wrist through that gap rather than closing a clasp. Because it holds its shape, a cuff sits a little off the skin and keeps a crisp, architectural line instead of draping like a chain. That structure is the appeal: a cuff reads as confident and current, it goes on in a second, and it stacks cleanly against bangles and watches. Every piece in this collection is a true cuff, either open slip-on or hinged.

A cuff should rest against the wrist bone with the opening sitting under the wrist, snug enough that it does not slide up the forearm but loose enough to turn on and off comfortably. Most of the cuffs here measure around 6 to 7 inches of inner circumference, which is the length of metal plus the gap, so check the measurement on each listing against your wrist. A well-fitted cuff has just a little play. It should never pinch, and you should be able to ease it on over the narrow side of the wrist without forcing it.

Turn it, do not pull it apart. Angle the open gap toward the narrowest part of your wrist, slide the cuff on sideways, then rotate it into place so the opening sits underneath. Opening a solid cuff by flexing the gap wider stresses the metal and, done repeatedly, will loosen or crack it over time. If a cuff feels too tight to turn on, it is the wrong size rather than something to force. Hinged cuffs sidestep this entirely: they open on a clasp, so you never flex the band at all.

It comes down to width and habit. Open slip-on cuffs have no clasp to fail, layer the most cleanly, and suit slimmer everyday designs you want to leave on. Hinged cuffs open on a small concealed clasp and close snug, which is the safer, easier choice for wider or diamond-set pieces and for anyone who dislikes turning a bracelet over the hand. The heavier gold cuffs and several of the diamond designs here are hinged for that reason. Neither is better on its own; it depends on the piece and how you like to put jewelry on.

Not quite, though they are more forgiving than a fixed bangle. An open cuff has a small amount of give in the gap, so one size covers a range of wrists, but a cuff built for a delicate wrist will gap awkwardly on a larger one, and the reverse will not turn on at all. Match the inner-circumference measurement on the listing to your wrist for the best fit. A solid-gold or silver cuff can also be gently adjusted by a jeweler within reason, which a plated cuff cannot survive.

Both are rigid, but a cuff has an open back and a bangle is a closed circle. You turn a cuff onto the wrist through its gap; you slide a bangle over the hand or click it shut on a hinge. The open form makes a cuff easier to size to a range of wrists and gives it that broad, sculptural face, while a bangle's closed loop suits stacking several thin bands together. Many people wear both, a wider cuff as the anchor with a few slim bangles beside it. This collection is cuffs; the bangle collection sits alongside it.

For a bracelet that knocks against desks, doorframes and keyboards all day, yes, plainly. Plated cuffs carry a microscopically thin layer of gold over a base metal that wears through at the high points within months, often leaving a dull edge or a green mark where it rubs. Everything in this collection is solid karat gold, solid sterling silver or platinum the whole way through, so it does not flake or wear down to something cheaper underneath. It is also the only kind of cuff worth re-polishing, adjusting or handing down.

Several of the smooth-faced cuffs here, including the domed engravable design and the pierced styles, are made to be engraved, which is why they are left plain. The outside of the cuff suits a monogram or a short phrase, while the inner surface hides a date or initials that only the wearer sees. Engraving turns a simple gold cuff into a keepsake for a birthday, a graduation or an anniversary, and it is one reason a solid-metal cuff makes such a lasting gift.

Each diamond cuff lists its total carat weight, written as CTW, which is the combined weight of every stone on the piece. In this collection that runs from about three points on the pearl-and-diamond cuff and a sixth of a carat on the everyday designs up to three-quarters of a carat on the statement cuffs. More carat weight means a fuller, brighter line of stones and a higher price. An open or negative-space setting shows the diamonds against more air, while a pierced or granulated design frames them with worked metal.

Cleaning is simple. Soak the cuff a few minutes in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap, brush gently with a soft toothbrush around any stones and any hinge, then rinse and dry with a lint-free cloth. Put bracelets on after lotion and perfume rather than before, since those films are what dull metal and stones. Store cuffs separately in a pouch or a lined box so they do not scratch one another, and have a hinged clasp checked if it ever feels loose. Done now and then, solid gold, silver and platinum stay bright for a lifetime.