Baguette Bracelets

Three ways. A tennis line running baguettes end to end, a bangle where the baguettes cross over each other, and mixed designs where baguettes draw a leaf or a border while round diamonds fill the surface. The crossover and mixed pieces read as pattern rather than as one continuous bar of light.

Yes, and it is most of the work. A bracelet needs calibrated baguettes, cut to a matched length and width so the line closes with no gaps along the edge. They are bought as matched parcels rather than one stone at a time. Two bracelets of the same carat weight can look very different because of it.

The corners are the weak point on any straight-edged cut, and a bracelet meets more hard surfaces than a ring on a finger. Channel and bezel settings solve it by covering the corners with gold. If you plan to wear the piece daily, avoid a design where baguette corners sit exposed at the edge of the band.

A straight baguette is a rectangle with parallel sides. A tapered baguette narrows toward one end, so a row of them curves with the wrist instead of running dead straight. Tapered stones are used where a line has to follow a bend or step down at the shoulders of a design. Both appear on this page.