An extender is a short chain that clips onto jewelry you already own to add length, without altering the original piece. Worth knowing before you shop: search "bracelet extender" and what comes back is mostly necklace extenders. A true bracelet extender is barely a category, because making a bracelet close only takes an inch or so. What CharmFlip makes is the opposite end of the scale: 8 to 12 inches of chain that turns a bracelet into a necklace. It attaches by clasp, so the bracelet is never cut, resized, or altered.
When do you need one?
- You want to wear it as a necklace. A long chain turns a charm bracelet into the centerpiece of a necklace, and wrist size stops mattering entirely. This is what CharmFlip chains are built for.
- The bracelet is just barely too tight. This one needs very little: an inch, sometimes two or three. We will say it plainly, because it saves you a return. That is not what we make. Our shortest chain is 8 inches, far more than a snug bracelet needs. If closing the bracelet is all you are after, a tiny add-on link from any jeweler is the right buy.
Which clasp do you need?
Match the extender to how your bracelet closes:
- Lobster or spring-ring clasp (the little hook on most modern bracelets): a standard single-clasp extender works. Your bracelet's clasp holds one end; the extender's clasp holds the other.
- Box or slide clasp (the flat clasp on many 1950s-'70s charm bracelets, where a tongue slides into a box): choose a double-clasp extender, which fastens at both ends and gives vintage clasps a secure hold a single clasp can't.
- Toggle or something unusual: email a photo of your clasp to info@charmflip.com and we'll tell you honestly what fits.
Which length?
Add the chain to your bracelet length: a 7-inch bracelet plus an 8-inch chain is a 15-inch choker; plus 10 inches is a 17-inch classic; plus 12 inches is a 19-inch relaxed drop.
What should it be made of?
The extender carries the same daily wear as the bracelet, so cheap plated brass shows fast. CharmFlip extenders are 316 surgical-grade stainless steel with 18K gold or silver PVD coating, waterproof and tarnish-proof, $29 to $36.
Does it hurt the value of the bracelet?
No. An extender is jewelry's least invasive upgrade: it clips on and clips off. For inherited charm bracelets this is the whole point. Melting, re-setting, or shortening a vintage piece destroys collectible and sentimental value; a chain that attaches by clasp preserves both.
Turning sentimental jewelry into art. Wear the story.