Most tribal and ethnic jewelry made in Central Asia or the Middle East is designed to fit small boned girls or young women, much of it worn in their adolescent years preceding marriage. Modern tribal and fusion belly dancers wishing to wear such jewelry, especially bracelets, should understand how to properly measure for a comfortable fit. We give dimensions in inches in our listings. If you need metric conversions there are several good resources including metric-conversions.org or one of the many smart phone apps available today.
For bracelets that slip over the hand without an opening or pin, use a tape measure determine the circumference of the widest part of your hand with your thumb tucked under. If this measurement is smaller than the inside circumference of the bracelet it will fit. For upper arm bracelets with no opening or pin as in the photos shown above, determine the circumference of the widest part of your upper arm.
For bracelets or cuffs that open completely or partially on a hinge like the cuff shown above, use a tape measure determine the circumference of the widest part of your wrist. If this measurement is smaller than the inside circumference of the bracelet or cuff it will fit. Be sure to insert the pin from the top when wearing your bracelet or cuff to avoid losing it.
For tribal bracelets with a partial opening such as heavy Kazakh-style bracelets, determine the thickness of your wrist either in front of or just behind the wrist bone, wherever it is most flexible. The bracelet must slip over your wrist with a twist to fit. Do not force a bracelet over your wrist.
Visit mathgoodies.com to learn about the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter using Pi. For example, if you know the circumference of a circular object like a bracelet and you want to calculate its diameter you would divide by Pi, a value of 3.1415 (rounded). Or if you know the diameter of the bracelet and you want to calculate its inside circumference you would multiply by the value of Pi.
Uber Kuchi™
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