Building Slide Bracelets
Before getting start you should decide if you want to build a cable slide bracelet or a chain slide bracelet. The cable slide bracelet has an advantage with being able to add more slides without having to take your bracelet to a jeweler. With the chain slide bracelet it is often preferred to have a jeweler add the slides since it sometimes requires removing jump rings on the bracelet to add/remove slides. They will commonly service the bracelet as well when adding slides.
If you are thinking about stringing your own chain slide bracelet take a look at this tutorial. Other material, such as cushion (like for a chair seat) found at craft stores can be used to stuff the slides instead of cork. It has a longer life than the cork.
Many people will stick with a theme for their slide bracelet. Some go with such things as all diamonds and sapphires, while others like just the larger emerald cut stones. A common style is called a "rainbow slide bracelet" with such stones as garnet, orange citrine, yellow citrine, peridot, blue topaz, and amethyst. I've even seen where people have gone with the same slide over and over for the entire bracelet with the same stones. To give it a more personal look, stick with stones you like. Even go with birthstones, engraving, or just make each slide unique to symbolize something in your life.
Remember, you don't have to complete your slide bracelet all at once. It is very common for it to take years to complete a slide bracelet. That is part of the beauty of the slide bracelet is its "collectible" feature. It also makes it easy for your loved one when they are shopping for a gift for you. Create a wish list of slides you would like to have and share that with them.
Chain Slide Bracelet and the Starter Slide Bracelet
Starting with a starter slide bracelet is the way to go. Many retailers offer deals on their starter slide bracelets with a bullseye clasp and a single slide. You can find these for around $200. I would like to point out that not all starter slide bracelets are created equal. Avoid the cheap triple link chain because as you add slides it won't hold up and you will end up replacing the chain. Also, if the starter slide bracelet comes with a filigree clasp these are known to be cheaply made. The clasp tongue will almost always break. The clasp is an important part of the slide bracelet. Most clasps, including bulls-eye clasps, don't weight very much and when you wear the bracelet the clasp will always go to the top of your wrist. The only clasp manufacturer that I've found to have heavier bulls-eye clasps and heavier gemstone clasps is BrooksFineJewelry.com. Going back to the chain, you will want to go with either 2mm solid rope or 2mm wheat chain. Avoid the 1.5mm chain because it just doesn't have the quality feel that the 2mm has. Your building something that you want to last, and the chain is the underlying component that holds the whole thing together.
Enameled Slides
I recommend avoiding these unless you just "have to have them". Some people love the enameled flower or animal slides. The enamel has a tendency to chip and the repair charges can add up with getting the enameled slides re-painted or replaced. Why spend all that money on gold slides just to have them covered in paint? Just seems a little pointless.
Metal - gold or silver
Even though there are some places that have silver slides I don't discuss these here. Most silver slides come with cheap colored stones to keep the price down. My intention with this website is to discuss gold (white and yellow) slide bracelets. Gold is a much better choice than silver when it comes to slide bracelets. A white gold bracelet filled with diamonds has an essence to it and silver doesn't compare. You may find cheaper 10 karat gold slides, but 14 karat gold slide are the more common and are preferred.
Two-tone gold - some people prefer the two-tone with white and yellow gold in the same piece. Wherever you buy your slides from ask them if they can get them in two-tone with the slide top being yellow gold and the bottom in white gold, or vice versa. This gives a different look to your slide bracelet. Or just alternate between white gold slides and yellow gold slides on your bracelet. There are many slides you will find that appear to be white gold when really they are rhodium plated. This is common with slides that have lots of diamonds in them. It gives the illusion of more diamonds since the rhodium plating is very reflective. Rhodium plating is also common on white gold pieces since getting a white gold finish to look good can be difficult and white gold has a slight yellow tint. Over time the rhodium plating will wear off.
Spacer Slides
Spacer slides are smaller slides that are used as fillers between other slides. These smaller slides will often have stones in them as well. Beads can also be used. The polyurethane filled gold beads are a must if you don't want your slides stuffed with cork or cushion material (less long term maintenance). These filled breads fit snug on the chain or even on a cable bracelet and hold the slide in place. When shopping in a catalog of slides make sure the slides are actual size otherwise there may be some confusion on how big a slide actually is if you are ordering it.
Collecting slides should be fun. Yes, you may spend hours paging through slide catalogs or websites looking for that right slide. Keep in mind many slide retailers and manufactures will do custom slides as well. Custom engraving, hand engraving, taking an old ring and attaching the top to a slide, and even setting stones you provide that are in a piece of jewelry you found in the attic, or ordering stones that you want for a particular slide. If a slide retailer tells you what they have in their catalog or in their store is all they got and "special" orders take 6-8 weeks, it is worth shopping around.
-Ruby
