Pick the sapphire color first, then the stone size, then a length that fits the wrist
Choose the color first. A rainbow row mixes many sapphire shades in one line, and the rainbow rows sold most in the year. Red, blue, pink, green and purple rows hold to one color. Then pick the stone size, because bigger stones make a wider row. Nearly every bracelet comes in one length, and 7 inches suits most women. Before you pay, ask the desk whether the sapphires are natural or lab-grown.
Sapphire color: rainbow, red, blue or pink sapphire tennis bracelet
Color sets the look of the whole row. A rainbow row puts sapphires of many shades side by side, so the color changes from stone to stone. Red has the most single-color rows. Blue, pink, green and purple rows keep to one color, and an ombre row grades from one shade into another.
Names such as Fire, Water or PYG hide the color, so ask the desk for the shade. Seven rows mix in diamonds, and each says so in its title.
Stone size: 5, 10 or 20 pointer sapphire bracelet and the width
A pointer counts each stone in hundredths of a carat. Every sapphire in a 10 pointer row weighs about a tenth of a carat, and bigger stones make a wider row. Of the titles that give a pointer, rows of 10 to 19 points went out most in the year.
Most titles give none, so shop by width. Most rows here run 3 to 4 mm wide. The slim rows under 3 mm were only four listings, yet they sold about a third of the year's pieces.
Origin: natural or lab sapphire, heat treatment and what to ask
Sapphire is corundum, mined from the ground or grown in a lab, and most mined sapphire is heated to deepen its color. Almost no listing here says which kind it holds. Before you pay, ask whether the stones are natural or lab-grown, whether they were heated, and the sapphire carat total.
Six of the seven diamond rows say natural diamonds, and the Ocean Breeze says lab-grown. Put your questions to the live chat, or call or text 212-872-9692 from 10 AM ET.
Length: how to measure the wrist for a 6.5, 7 or 8 inch sapphire tennis bracelet
Nearly every bracelet has one length, so measure before you order. Wrap a strip of paper around the wrist above the bone, mark the overlap, then hold it to a ruler. Add roughly half an inch, so the row can turn but never slip over the hand.
The 7 inch rows sold most in the year. The three 6.5 inch rows suit a slim wrist, and two were among the year's top three. A man or a fuller wrist usually wants 8 inches. The Ocean Blue row adjusts to fit. Ask the desk before shortening any other, since an altered bracelet is final sale.
Buying: 14K gold color, everyday wear and returns
Every bracelet is 14K gold, and all but one come in yellow, white or rose. Against white gold, blue and green stones read cooler, and yellow gold warms red and pink. Sapphire rates 9 for hardness, just under diamond, so a row takes daily wear. Have a jeweler check the prongs once a year.
A bracelet you have not worn or altered can go back within fourteen days of delivery. Customer service clears it first, at service@traxnyc.com or 212-391-3832, and it travels on a return label the store issues. Your refund arrives short by five percent for restocking, and short the return shipping as well.