Sizing and Caring

At Bauble Magpie we don’t just want you to be content with your purchase, we want you to be off the scale delighted. We understand how tricky it can be to buy jewellery online – it’s a big decision and we want you to be confident in your choice. To ease your buying experience, we’ve put together our top tips to help you get that all important sizing right.

Chains and necklaces

The length of all our chains and necklaces is detailed in each individual product description. Obviously how you wear your chain or necklace is personal to you – perhaps you’re a low hanger, or a neck hugger, or somewhere in between.

The simplist way to choose the length of your chain is to place a tape measure around your neck to where you would like the chain or necklace to sit. Can’t decide on what length you like best? Either measure an existing necklace of a similar length, or take a peak at our length guide below.

Bracelets and bangles

Similar to what you wear around your neck, how you choose to adorn your wrists is a matter of taste and desired effect. Whether you’re looking for understated elegance or a bangle jangle our product descriptions feature full details on circumference and length.

Wrap a tape measure around your wrist, to the tightness you would like your bracelet to fit, making sure it feels comfortable. Then all you need to do is compare the measurement to the length specified for the object of you desire – if a product is adjustable, that too will be indicated in our online elucidation.

For bangles without an opening, remember it must be wide enough to pass over the width of your knuckles.

Rings

When it comes to ring sizing, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, depending on which country you’re reading this in. To help, we’ve linked to a handy (ahem) conversion chart below, to aid you in your purchase.

Unsure of your ring size? You can get a good idea by either measuring your finger or an existing ring. Decide which of your fingers will be the lucky one to bear the treasure, and grab some string, a felt tip pen and a ruler or tape measure. Snuggle the string around the base of your finger – not too tight now! Aim for a comfortable fit. Use the pen to make a mark where the string crosses over, then measure the marked length of the string in millimetres.

You now have the circumference of your finger, which can be compared to our size conversion chart to get your approximate ring size. Remember fingers can change size a little throughout the day, so it’s best to measure them at their biggest (and warmest), usually in the evening.

If you already have a ring that fits comfortably on your choosen finger but are unsure of its size, follow the above advice to measure the internal diameter of the ring at its widest part in millimetres.

To be considered antique, jewellery must pass the hundred years old mark. Which is old. And as with all things old, people included, care should be taken to ensure its continued longevity. To keep your jewellery in tip-top condition, we recommend the following.

Avoid washing, bathing or showering

For the jewellery, obvs, not you!

Take off all pieces of jewellery before washing hands, bathing or showering – water is wont to damage antique settings. In particular, much as we’re sure you’ll find it difficult to be separated from them, closed-set pieces must be removed, if water ingress damage to the setting is to be avoided. And you definitely want to avoid it!

No chemical romance

A quick spritz of hairspray and waft of perfume are daily musts, even more so on a BNO (big night out), but they are no friends of your jewellery. To preserve your sparkles and protect your gems, allow sufficient time for perfumes and hair products to dry before adding your final bejewelled embellishments.

Likewise harsh cleaning chemicals can damage the surface of precious stones such as pearls and opals, and stain gold and silver. Hmm, now how could you prevent that happening? We’re sure you can think of something!

Keep it clean

Most jewellery can be cleaned with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. That said, it’s a hard ‘no’ on full immersion for closed-set pieces – trapped water behind stones can wreak havoc on your settings.

Some jewellery cleaning fluids may also damage precious stones and metals. Our advice is to ask the professionals (see how we neatly sidestepped there), or better still, pass the buck completely and let them clean your jewellery for you.

For safe keeping

The safest way to store your beloved jewellery is in individual boxes or a compartmentalised one (browse our antique jewellery boxes for unique, characterful options). This reduces the risk of accidental damage caused by pieces bumping against each other. Alternatively, wrap each item in linen or cotton cloth – they’re worth the effort, and so are you.