Herringbone Bracelets / Necklaces
I keep them coming
One of a kind
New Herringbone bracelets / necklaces are constantly added to my shop.* They are all unique and numbered. The ones I make next will be different from the ones I made before! That’s why I leave some of the ones that are sold on the website; so you can see the large variety in the way they turn out. If you have something specific in mind and you can not find in your size, please contact me.
The ones I make
next will be
different from
the ones I
made before.
One simple design
I make them all by following the same basic design idea: by joining three segments of vintage sterling chain to form a chain that can be either worn as a necklace or a bracelet. Wear it as a bracelet by wrapping it 3 times around your wrist. If you would like to wear one as a bracelet make sure you buy the right size.
What is the right size?
If you measure the circumference of your wrist just above the wrist bone and add 1 to 1.5 cm to this number you will have the right size in cm. The length of the jewelry as a bracelet is noted in cm in the title and also in the description of every piece of Herringbone jewelry. A bracelet that is too big can easily get caught on something. And if it is too small you will only be able to wear the Herringbone Jewelry as a necklace…
Types of chain
It’s mostly Herringbone chain that I use for this jewelry. Hence the name. Recently I started using “Bismarck” chain (which is also flat) in combination with the Herringbone chain. Sometimes I use thinner Herringbone chain that is woven to make a wider chain. And I love using segments with text on them now even though I avoided them at first.
Vintage
The fact that the jewelry is made from vintage sterling silver means that the components do not always reach me in the best condition. Often they are very dirty and I have to try several things to get them clean. In many cases they are also damaged so I have to cut away parts of it and solder the ends back on. But by the time the Herringbone jewelry reaches you it is clean and ready to be enjoyed.
Why do I use vintage Herringbone chain then? Well, because Herringbone chain isn’t produced in a variety of patterns like it used to. It went out of fashion so the machines that etched the different patterns into them don’t exist any more. Years ago I found a couple of vintage Herringbone bracelets I fell in love with. So I decided to collect as may as I could find and design new jewelry with them that was more current.
Last but not least, my goal is to produce jewelry that is sustainable. Lots of silver jewelry is currently made from recycled silver. Avoiding melting down beautiful silver chain in the first place is wildly preferable in my opinion.
How to clean the jewelry
Your Herringbone jewelry can get greasy and dull, or it can get tarnished a a result of oxidation. Both problems are solved in a different way. Because I like to work as environmentally friendly as possible I will share a couple of ways to clean silver with you. These are less toxic than the liquid silver cleaner / dip often sold at jewelry stores.
If your jewelry gets dull
It is perfectly normal for your silver jewelry to get a bit dull after a while because your skin is greasy. You can make your silver jewelry shiny again by rinsing it in really hot soapy water. You can use washing up liquid or other mild soap.
If it gets tarnished
If your silver jewelry gets tarnished (dark, sometimes even black) this is because the chemicals in your skin or the air have reacted with the silver. The jewelry can be polished gently with the enclosed polishing cloth to get rid of this. Or, for a more rigorous cleaning: put the jewelry in a flat dish on top of a piece of aluminum foil (mat side up). Add some soda and hot water and soak for a while. The silver must be touching the foil. A chemical reaction will get rid of the tarnish.
Keep flat
An important thing to keep in mind is that Herringbone chain must not be twisted. Keep it laying flat while winding it around your wrist or putting it around your neck. If you do you will be able to enjoy it for a long time to come.
Storage
The same goes for storing the Herringbone jewelry: make sure it doesn’t get twisted. For example, don’t let it end up at the bottom of your purse or toiletry bag like happened to some people I won’t mention here. When you are not wearing it make sure to keep it in it’s box to protect it from getting crushed or twisted.
