What You Need to Know About Bracelets?

Bracelets are a piece of jewellery that can be as simple as a string of leather or as intricate as a precious gem jewellery or metal or made of any material worn around the wrist. Like any other type of jewellery, the history of bracelets is very old. It originate from the word 'bracelet' comes from the Latin word 'brachile' which means 'of the arm' through an Old French word 'barcel'. The early bracelets are thought to have a religious and spiritual purpose especially in the Egyptian history. Materials such as stones, bones and woods are used as bracelets. Bracelets are not only used as an accessory or for protection against the evil spirits but today they do have significant purposes. Bracelets are used for medical and identification purposes too such as allergy bracelets and hospital patient- id tags.

The history of bracelets can be traced from 500 BCE in during the times of the Egyptians and the Scarab bracelet is the most recognised symbol of the ancient Egypt, it represents rebirth and regeneration. And in Latin America, bracelets were used as a protection from evil eye. The evil eye is believed to result of excessive admiration or envious looks by others. While in Bulgaria they have the tradition of Martenitsa which is believed to please the Baba Marta to make the spring come sooner by tying a red and white string around the wrist. And in India, bangles denote the marital status of a woman with the number and the type of bangles they wear.

There are different types of bracelets that are commonly used today both by men and women from sports bracelets, charm, bangles, and slap and beaded bracelets. And they are made from different materials such as silicone rubber, plastics, metals, leather, gems and more. Sports bracelets commonly use silicone rubber as a material and were popular with awareness, information and charity campaigns. These bracelets are also known as baller bands, wristbands or baller id bands. One popular kind of sport bracelet is the tennis bracelet or also known as diamond line bracelets. They are thin, elegant piece of wrist jewellery having a symmetrical pattern of diamonds.

One of the popular types of bracelets today is the charm bracelets. A charm bracelet is a piece of jewellery worn on the wrist which has different personal charms. These personal charms can be decorative pendants or trinkets which are significant to the wearer. Many charm bracelets are passed down from generation to generation of a family. Another popular type of bracelets is the bangles. Bangles are also known as Chudi, they are a traditional ornament in India and Pakistan worn by women especially the Hindus. A bangle signifies matrimony or marriage. Unlike other type of bracelets, bangles are not flexible and they are in circular shape. And the term bangle is derived from Hindu term bungri which means glass. Bangles are made from various precious as well as non- precious materials such as gold, silver, glass, wood, platinum, plastics, ferrous metals and more. Bracelets that are usually in solid circular form and are made from metal are referred to as bangles.

Unlike the previous types of bracelets that we have beaded bracelets is less popular type of bracelet. Beaded bracelets are made from beads and they are common in Southwestern American Indian jewellery lore. They often have various colours but mostly have a predominance of turquoise. Beaded bracelets are also common with teens as an accessory and sometimes used as friendship bands. A type of bracelet that can be made from various materials such as metals and gemstones that are connected or linked to each other is called a link bracelet. While karma bracelets are made from wooden beads that may contain various charms and they are associated with bringing prosperity, good luck and good Karma to the wearer.

Today bracelets can still hold a particular meaning and significance and can be used for various purposes such as medical to describe the medical condition of a person or simply decorative or accessory. Like in the ancient times, bracelets are still a very important piece of jewellery, they are a kind that would obviously make a good gift, whether it is for a friend or for a special someone. Thus, choosing the right kind is important.