Would you have a bracelet welded to your wrist? That’s the latest way to show your enduring love

Would you have a bracelet welded around your wrist so you couldn’t take it off? It might seem like a drastic solution to forgetting to put on your bling in the morning, but a bizarre trend for ‘permanent jewellery’ has really taken off.

Social media videos of people having the bracelets attached have been watched millions of times — and even high-end department store Liberty now offers the service.

Welded bracelets are typically nine to 18-carat gold chains, which are unlikely to dull or tarnish over time, fused by a laser. The continuous, seamless bracelet (no clasp necessary) cannot fall off, nor be removed should you fancy a different style that day — though it can be cut off in an emergency.

So, what’s the appeal?

Hayley Bond, 41, (pictured) from Worthing, West Sussex, encouraged both of her daughters to join her in getting ‘simple, timeless and discreet’ welded bracelets   

Hayley Bond, 41, who first saw the trend on Instagram, says it was ‘the years we’ve just had’ that made her want a welded bracelet. She encouraged her daughters, Charlotte, 22, and Honey, 16, to join her. ‘I thought it would be a nice bonding experience and a fun thing to do together,’ says Hayley.

The permanency appealed as her eldest was about to go travelling (going clasp-less would make her less likely to take it off and lose it). But, more symbolically, it spoke to the strength and constancy of their relationships, and would be a reminder of this while she was away.

Hayley chose a nine-carat rose-gold bracelet with a diamond charm (£170), Charlotte a yellow-gold one (£170) and Honey a white-gold chain with an engraved disc (£140).

‘The design is simple, timeless and discreet, so goes with everything,’ says Hayley, from Worthing, West Sussex.

It was put on using a TIG welder, a handheld device that uses electricity and a tungsten electrode to fuse the metal. Siobhan Jones, jeweller and owner of Shiny Bomb Jewellery where the process was carried out, explains: ‘It welds using a hot spark that joins the two ends. It is welding on a very small scale.’

Hayley says: ‘The process was quick: a little flash and a little click and it’s done. It didn’t hurt and the bracelet is so light, I don’t feel it at all.’

The concept of permanent jewellery can be traced back to Cartier’s Love bracelet, an 18-carat bangle that can only be removed using a special screwdriver. Worn by celebrities including Prince Harry and wife Meghan, and actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Aniston, prices start at £3,750 and some wear them for decades.

The newest incarnations might be significantly cheaper, but they are arguably more of a commitment, having done away with the screwdriver. The chains are fine enough, however, that they can be cut off with pliers or strong scissors in an emergency.

Welding expert Ian Angell, said the majority of applications will use a pulse arc welder which takes a fraction of a second using an instant spark making it quick and safe. Pictured: Hayley’s bracelet

Most jewellers will remove or alter the bracelet for a small fee, but otherwise it’s yours for life.

New York jewellery shop Catbird was one of the first to offer welded jewellery in 2016. In Britain, welded jewellery specialist Atelier VM has just launched at Liberty, while respected brands including Astrid & Miyu, The Alkemistry and Monarc have jumped on the bandwagon.

But is it safe to have a bracelet welded on? The application isn’t risky, according to welding expert Ian Angell, managing director at Angell Welding. ‘The majority will use a pulse arc welder which takes a fraction of a second using an instant spark [so no high temperature and no chemicals] making it quick and safe.’

Technology has advanced enough that gold can be joined safely with pinpoint precision and without heat.

Mr Angell suggests jewellery shops take safety precautions, such as the client and jeweller wearing protective welding glasses and rolling up sleeves during the process to mitigate even the tiniest fire risk. Siobhan Jones, who’s been welding bracelets for a year, says: ‘People really love them. They add an element of fun — like an extension of friendship bracelets or those halved heart necklace charms we used to buy.

‘The key is they need to fit properly. If they’re too baggy they catch on things and snag. But you would want it to break rather than damage your wrist.’

She recommends choosing somewhere that offers a good warranty and, ideally, jewellers qualified to degree level who understand the metal they’re working with. Silver, for example, is softer than some gold and less durable, so may not last.

However, permanent jewellery comes with its own serious risks.

Patricia Jolie, a 35-year-old interior designer from London, was left with a swollen, bruised wrist after she was mugged in 2014.

Patricia was given the Cartier Love bracelet by her grandparents for her 18th birthday and had worn it for ten years, largely without issue.

For many, permanent jewellery represents something intensely personal and can amount to a sign of commitment. Pictured: Hayley’s bracelet 

In November 2014, she was driving to visit a friend when a van drove up beside her. It stopped and the driver stared at her. She continued, parked and was walking along the street to her friend’s house when someone grabbed her from behind and forced her to the ground.

With a jacket over her head, she felt them pull off her engagement ring and then start tugging at her bracelet. She believes they saw it while she was driving.

‘They couldn’t get it off,’ she says. ‘I was absolutely terrified. I was shouting to explain but they said: “Don’t worry, we will get it off.” I honestly thought they were going to cut off my hand so I was trying anything to get it off — licking at my wrist and almost breaking my hand trying to crunch and squeeze it through the bangle.

‘Luckily someone came down the street and my attackers ran off. I had swelling, bruising and cuts for a month from where I had attempted to get it off. It was incredibly traumatic.

‘I think it is irresponsible to have something expensive on your arm permanently.’

And yet using lighter, thinner chains — partly to avoid this sort of risk of being unable to remove jewellery in an emergency — brings problems of its own.

Heather Heaton, a supply manager from Moreton in Merseyside, had two delicate nine-carat yellow-gold chains welded on to her right wrist last September to celebrate turning 40.

‘I was finally coming of age and getting my life back again, as my three sons are teenagers now. It felt like a nice moment to mark.’

Not two months later, Heather was in London travelling by Tube to a hotel. When she arrived and looked down at her wrist one of the bracelets had gone.

She believes the thin chain simply came apart. ‘I was gutted,’ she says. ‘It was nearly £100 down the toilet; my partner still thinks it only cost £40.’

Far from ideal when, for many, permanent jewellery represents something intensely personal and can amount to a sign of commitment, like a wedding ring.

Lisa Witherspoon, a 43-year-old refurbishment business owner from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, had one attached that included a small gold 8mm chamber containing ashes from her beloved bulldog, Winston.

A company called Ashes with Art — which has welded memorial bracelets onto clients containing everything from a husband’s ashes to those of horses and guinea pigs — made Lisa’s £195 bracelet last summer.

She says: ‘It is a slim design and not a huge metal contraption. It brought some joy from a really upsetting time. This way, I always have him with me.’

• Patricia’s name has been changed.

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