Sizing, Inclusivity, and Customizations
If you’ve ever noticed that all my necklaces (and most bracelets) say “this can be sized to any length between X and Y - here’s a video showing how I do it!
@wyrdingstudios Custom-sizing a labradorite necklace before shipping it to its new home! #customjewelry #watchmework #howitsmade #wirewrapping ♬ Cardigan - Instrumental - Piano Dreamers
I used to make necklaces and bracelets to arbitrary lengths, but that always bothered me because there’s no such thing as an “average” size when it comes to jewelry - an 18” necklace can be an uncomfortably tight choker on one person and fall at collarbone length on another. I’ve made necklaces as small as 11” and as large as 28” and everything in between, and I never want someone to fall in love with a necklace only to be disappointed by it being the wrong size for them.
So I switched to not finishing necklaces until they’ve been sold, which lets me customize every single one for a perfect fit. It’s a little more work for me since wrangling long ends of wire while photographing and storing them isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but I’d much rather spend a few minutes coiling up the extra wire than have someone go away disappointed because the necklace they wanted won’t fit them.
A year or so ago I also started doing the same thing with bracelets, which is a little harder because trying to hide the wire ends behind my arm mannequin is challenging (there’s a reason photos of bracelets are always cropped tightly!) but again, human bodies come in so many different sizes that there’s no “normal” or “average” length. I think the smallest I’ve ever made was 4.5”, and the largest was somewhere around 9” or 10”. Plus people like to wear bracelets at different points on their arms which can affect the measurement dramatically - I wear a 6.5” bracelet if it’s sitting right at the narrowest part of my wrist, but my watchband is 7.75” because I wear my watch much higher up my arm.
I started making jewelry 20 years ago largely because I could never find jewelry that fit me well and was comfortable to wear, and that’s still a huge part of why I do what I do - I want jewelry to be accessible to everyone, in all senses of the word.
Sizing is a big part of that, but it also includes being willing to accommodate disabilities or medical equipment - I’ve made necklaces long enough to be pulled over the head for someone with a hand tremor that prevented them from using a clasp, and bangle bracelets that can be slipped on and off. I have one customer who wears a neck brace and needs earrings to be short enough not to get caught on the brace, and several who need ultra-light earrings to avoid setting off migraines; others meed steel or titanium earwires due to metal allergies or leverback earwires for extra security because they wear masks and/or have curly hair. And then there are the many parents who have requested extra short and/or extra sturdy earrings to withstand their toddler’s grabby hands!
Sensory issues are another thing I frequently take into consideration - some people LOVE jewelry that jingles or has moving elements or a lot of texture, and others HATE noise and motion and need everything to be as smooth as possible.
As a disabled neurodivergent person, accessibility and inclusion are hugely important to me both personally and professionally, and since I personally make every single piece of jewelry and pack every single order, it’s very easy for me to accommodate special requests. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if there’s something I can do to make my jewelry more wearable for you - chances are pretty good I’ve already done it at least a few times in my career, and if I haven’t, I LOVE a good challenge.
(That goes for pricing, too, by the way. My prices are already pretty reasonable while still paying me a living wage, but times are harder than ever and I know how difficult it can be to make room in the budget for little luxuries. If there’s something you love but just can’t afford, talk to me - I can always do payment plans or put something on hold until your next paycheck, sometimes I barter, and a few years ago a bunch of good people threw money at me so I could give transfolks their first piece of jewelry totally free and there’s still some of that in trust (and more people standing by to replenish it when it runs out.)
