How to Judge an 18K Gold Bracelet Before You Buy

Links, solder joins, the clasp, the weight and the hallmark: eight things to check on an 18K bracelet before it goes on your wrist.

An 18K Italian gold Cuban link bracelet and a Medusa bracelet with a diamond halo on white marble

A bracelet takes more punishment than any other piece of jewellery: it meets desks, door handles, sinks and seat belts every day. That is why 18K, the hardest of the yellow karats, is the right choice, and why the way it is made matters as much as the karat. Here is the checklist we use ourselves.

1. The hallmark

750 stamped on the clasp or an end link, crisp and legible. It is the first thing to find and the first thing to test.

2. Solid or hollow links

Hold the bracelet. Solid links are heavy for their size and feel dense; hollow links are light and can dent. Both are legitimate, but they should be priced very differently by weight. Our Italian bracelets are solid.

3. The solder joins

Look where each link closes. On a well-made chain the joins are invisible; on a cheap one you see a seam or a colour change. Run the bracelet through your fingers: it should flow without catching.

4. The clasp

A box clasp with a safety figure-eight, or a lobster clasp with a tight spring, is what you want on a piece worn daily. Open and close it ten times. It should click, not slide.

5. Weight and length

Weight is the gold value; ask for it in grams. Length is the fit: 17 to 18 cm for most women's wrists, 19 to 21 for men's. A bracelet should move but not slide over the hand.

6. Finish

Polish should be even, with no orange-peel texture; brushed and diamond-cut surfaces should be crisp. Italian workshops are known for exactly this, which is why we source there.

7. Stones, if any

On a piece like our Medusa bracelet, every pavé stone should sit level and be held by metal, not glue. Tilt it under light: nothing should wobble.

8. The making charge

Ask for it separately. Machine-made chain: low. Hand-finished links, pavé, two-tone work: higher, and worth it. The making-charges guide shows how to compare.

Bracelet or bangle?

A bracelet articulates and follows the wrist; a bangle is rigid and sits with presence. Many people wear both. Our matching guide covers stacking them.

At Mazimo. Every piece is weighed in front of you at Al Manal Center, Deira, priced on the live gold rate of the day, and leaves with a certificate of purity and a tracking code you can check any time at mazimo.ae/track. Delivery across the UAE is insured and complimentary; unworn pieces can be exchanged within 48 hours of delivery.