White Copper Double Gourd Chain Bracelet Side Charm

Two gourds on one long chain, one large and one small, hanging at the side of a bracelet. The pair reads as blessings in both senses, or as descendants through the generations, since a vine never bears only one gourd. The two waists must line up; strung crooked and the whole chain slants. Every link has to turn, because a soldered joint breaks under load. And the chain has to be soft: stiff, and it will not swing, and hangs there like a length of wire.

The virtue of a long chain is movement. Long means a wide swing, and it will fly as you walk; the drawback is that it catches on sleeves and bag straps. Length usually drops to the side of the palm, and longer than that gets in the way. Take it off when you wear knitwear, since that is what it snags on worst. A ring of fine line at the waist catches the light and marks top from bottom. Both tips point down, and then it hangs true.

The proportions of the two should be separated. The same size looks copied; small above and large below gives a sense of growing. Offset the waists a little and the chain stops looking stiff. The tips should be rounded, because sharp ones prick and break. Do not use too heavy a chain for a side charm: heavy drags the hand, and two turns of the wrist tire it. Keep white copper away from iron, which transfers rust colour onto the surface. Finish it with a small ring at the end, so it can be moved between strands.

Fine white copper links with many joints are the most vulnerable to a pull. Support the charm when you take the bracelet off instead of letting it drop, because a few drops will open the mouths of the links. Take it off for the shower; moisture sits in the joints and darkens them. If it tangles, do not pull — lay it flat and work back from the end. White copper dislikes sweat, so wipe it after a summer day and it darkens less. The clasp should be small; a large one is an eyesore, a lump you notice every time it swings.

Hang it on a side bead rather than on the guru bead. As a gift, “doubled” is two characters of luck and works better than a speech. People who like handling their beads enjoy a piece that swings; quieter people find it in the way, so read the person before recommending. Wear it on the left wrist, where it interferes with neither writing nor work. Leave enough space between the two gourds, since close together they become a single lump. For someone who collects strands it is a safer gift than a bracelet, because there is no size to guess at.