A hand-strung bracelet is a small assembly of stone, cord and knots. The stones will outlast all of us. The cord will not. Most of what follows is about looking after the parts you cannot see.
Our bracelets are strung by hand in Xingyi, in the karst highlands of Guizhou, by makers including Wu Yunhua and Fanfan. Each is finished individually, which means each can be looked after — and, when the time comes, repaired — rather than replaced.
Everyday wear
The simplest rule: put your bracelet on last and take it off first. Perfume, hairspray, sunscreen and hand lotion all leave a film on stone, and the residue collects in the drill holes and along the cord where you cannot reach it. Dress, scent, then fasten the bracelet.
Take it off for washing up, swimming and the gym. Chlorinated and salt water are hard on elastic and on silk thread; repeated soaking and drying stiffens cord and shortens its life considerably. Soap is less of a problem than the water it comes with.
Some stones are softer or more porous than others. Turquoise and nanhong agate in particular will take up oils over time and can shift slightly in colour. Moonstone and fluorite are more easily scratched than quartz, so avoid stacking them directly against harder stones or a watch case if you can.
Cleaning
Little and often, and dry. A soft cloth — the sort supplied with spectacles works well — run over the beads after wearing removes most of what a day puts on them.
For a proper clean:
- Dampen a soft cloth with cool water. Do not submerge the bracelet.
- Wipe each bead, then run the cloth along the cord between beads.
- Use a dry soft-bristled brush, an old toothbrush is ideal, for the drill holes.
- Dry thoroughly with a second cloth and lay it flat until no damp remains.
- Skip ultrasonic cleaners, steam, and any solution containing bleach, ammonia or alcohol.
Avoid prolonged direct sunlight. Amethyst and some fluorite will fade with sustained exposure, which is a slow, quiet change you only notice by comparison. A windowsill is the worst place to keep jewellery.
Storage
Store bracelets flat and separately. A small pouch each, or a divided box, stops harder stones knocking against softer ones. Coiling elastic tightly around a hook or hanging a bracelet by its cord keeps the thread under permanent tension, which is precisely what wears it out.
If you own several, rotate them. A piece worn every day for a year will need attention sooner than three worn in turn.
Restringing
Cord is the consumable part. Elastic in particular has a working life — typically one to two years of regular wear, less if the bracelet is often stretched over a wide hand rather than eased on.
Signs it is time to restring:
- Visible gaps between beads when the bracelet is at rest.
- Fraying or fuzz at the knot, or thread showing pale where it has thinned.
- The bracelet sits noticeably looser than it did.
- Beads that rotate freely and click against each other.
Restringing is straightforward work for anyone comfortable with knots, and a local jeweller will usually do it inexpensively. Use a cord rated for the weight of your beads and check the drill holes are clear before you begin. If a bead has chipped at the hole, that edge will saw through new cord as readily as it did the old one.
Should a bracelet of ours fail, write to us. We would rather mend a piece than see it in a drawer.
Everything in our collection of hand-strung stone bracelets is photographed as the piece you will receive, with its maker named. If you are ordering from outside China, the Mistfell shop on Etsy ships worldwide.
Questions & answers
Can I shower or swim wearing a natural-stone bracelet?
Better not to. Repeated wetting and drying stiffens and weakens elastic and silk cord, and chlorine and salt water accelerate it. Remove the bracelet before showering, swimming or washing up.
How often should a beaded bracelet be restrung?
Elastic cord generally lasts one to two years with regular wear. Restring sooner if you see gaps between beads at rest, fraying at the knot, or the bracelet fitting more loosely than it used to.
How do I clean turquoise and agate beads safely?
Wipe them with a cloth dampened in cool water, clean the drill holes with a dry soft brush, and dry the piece fully before storing. Avoid submerging it and never use ultrasonic cleaners or solutions with bleach, ammonia or alcohol.