And you have a very useful piece of kit with the bracelet former. But I have a question.
I noticed the gap between the ends is very small and was wondering if there is a reason for this. Do you find that it makes the bracelet harder to take on and off and slide over the wrist.??? Or is it more designed to slip over the hand.
When I bend my bracelets I leave a bigger gap so it slides over the wrist easier without having to bend the bracelet at the gap................but I don't know if that is right or wrong, it's just how I've always done it. I really should have taken a lot more notice when Mary brought jewellery
I'd be keen to know your reasoning from a working jewellers point of view.
Andrew, I won’t answer for Arnaud; but he did mention that with Ti the bracelet can be flexed again and again.
Early in my lapidary/goldsmith career I made a lot of bracelets mostly bracelets inlayed with stone from end to end. I don’t recall ever making a bracelet without stone.
Naturally one can’t flex stone inlayed bracelets. I fabricated a series of bracelets without inlaying so I could use them to check sizes before I made a bracelet for a customer. Also bracelets require different lengths depending on how wide the bracelet is. It also makes a difference in the gap to slip the bracelet over the wrist. I always saw the wrist in question before making the bracelet.
All metal certainly makes it easier as far as size and gap goes.
I also found that men’s wrist require a different shape than women’s do. Women’s are rounder than a man’s; but I almost always made them to order.
Arnaud’s work looks so good I ‘m going to try that Ti grade 1
Andrew, yes the gap is small. Sure I can make it a big bigger if needed. Depends on the size of the wrist of course.
But the Titanium is flexible enough to open the gap without deforming the bracelet. That is one of the super properties of Titanium, it does not get tired that quickly when you bend the metal within some range.
This one is not meant to slip over the hand.
Silver and gold get harder when bending it for some time. One needs to heat it to make it softer again.
My bracelet is about 177 mm long, the gap is now 10 mm but can easily be opened till 45 mm and will close again without being deformed.
The Ti plate has a 1 mm tickness.
Another advantage is that it is so light, one can wear it without feeling it.