Bangle size guide: what 2.4 and 2.6 mean, with a size chart

A bangle that is too tight will not go over your hand, and one that is too loose slides off or catches on everything. Getting the size right is simple once you know what the numbers mean. Here is how bangle sizes work, two easy ways to measure at home, and a few tips for openable bangles, sets and gifts.

What do bangle sizes like 2.4 and 2.6 mean?

Indian gold bangles are usually sized by their inner diameter, measured in sixteenths of an inch. The number before the dot is whole inches; the number after it is sixteenths.

So size 2.4 means 2 and 4/16 inches across the inside (2.25 inches, about 57 mm), and size 2.6 means 2 and 6/16 inches (about 60 mm). Each step up adds 2/16 of an inch, a little over 3 mm. You will also see the same sizes written with a dash, as 2-4 or 2-6; they mean the same thing.

This is why 2.10 comes after 2.8, not before 2.2: it means 2 and 10/16 inches. Write it as "2.10", because "2.1" can be read as 2 and 1/16 inches, a much smaller bangle.

Bangle size chart

"Across" is the inner diameter, which you measure in Method 1. "Around" is the inner circumference, which you match in Method 2.

Size	Across (in)	Across (mm)	Around (mm)
2.2	2.125	54.0	169.6
2.4	2.250	57.2	179.5
2.6	2.375	60.3	189.5
2.8	2.500	63.5	199.5
2.10	2.625	66.7	209.5
2.12	2.750	69.9	219.4
2.14	2.875	73.0	229.4

Some jewellers round the millimetres, for example quoting size 2.6 as 60 mm, and some label bangles by their diameter in millimetres instead. If a size is unfamiliar, ask for the inner diameter in millimetres and compare it with this chart.

Method 1: measure a bangle that already fits

This is the most reliable method, if you have a bangle you like wearing.

1. Lay the bangle flat on a table.
2. Measure straight across the inside, from inner edge to inner edge, through the centre. Use a ruler marked in millimetres.
3. Find the nearest "across" measurement in the chart above.

Measure the inside, not the outside: the thickness of the gold is not part of the size.

Method 2: measure your hand

A closed bangle has to slide over your hand, so the widest part of your hand, not your wrist, sets the size.

1. Hold your hand as if you were putting on a bangle: fingers together, with your thumb tucked in towards your little finger.
2. Wrap a strip of paper, a piece of thread or a soft tape measure around the widest part, across the knuckles. Keep it snug but do not squeeze.
3. Mark where it overlaps, lay it flat and measure the length in millimetres.
4. Find the nearest "around" measurement in the chart.

Take the measurement three times and use the largest. If you have never worn bangles on one hand, measure both hands, since they are not always the same size.

Closed, openable or oval?

Not every bangle fits the same way:

• Closed bangles have no opening, so they must pass over your hand. Size them from your hand measurement.
• Openable bangles, with a hinge or clasp, go around the wrist instead, so they can be sized closer to your wrist for a neater fit.
• Oval bangles sit flatter on the wrist. Check both the width and the height of the inside.
• Cuffs have an open gap and some give, so go by the piece's own measurements.

Tips for a comfortable fit

• Between two sizes? For a closed bangle, choose the larger one. For an openable or adjustable bangle, the smaller one is often fine.
• Warm days. Hands can swell slightly in warm weather, which in Singapore is most days. A closed bangle that only just fits in an air-conditioned shop may feel tight outdoors.
• Wearing several together. Each closed bangle still has to clear your hand on its own, so you do not need to size up for a stack. Wear them in your usual size.
• Buying a gift. Borrow a bangle the person already wears and measure it with Method 1. If you cannot, ask about exchange before you buy.

Bangles for children

Children's bangles use the same system with smaller numbers. For example, size 1.12 is 1 and 12/16 inches across, about 44 mm. Age charts differ from one jeweller to another, and children grow quickly, so measure the child's hand with Method 2 rather than choosing by age.

Can a gold bangle be resized?

Sometimes, but not always, so it is worth getting the size right at the start. A plain, solid gold bangle can often be stretched a little, or cut and rejoined with gold added or removed. Hollow bangles, openable bangles with hinges, and bangles with stones or detailed patterns all around them are much harder to alter without damage, and some cannot be resized at all. If you are unsure of the size, ask before you buy whether a piece can be adjusted later.

Try them on in Little India

The easiest way to be sure is to try bangles on. Bring a bangle that fits well, and try bangles on in our showroom at 142 Dunlop Street, inside Haniffa, a few minutes from Little India (NE7, DT12) and Rochor (DT13) MRT stations. We are open every day from 10.30am to 9.30pm, and you can walk in without an appointment.

Browse our 916 gold jewellery, see bridal jewellery for wedding sets, or check today's gold price before you visit. For what to check on the stamp and the receipt, read 916 or 999? Gold purity explained.