Most of the time, you will see a lady wearing a bracelet on her wrist. Bracelet is a piece of jewelery that is worn usually as a decoration for the body. It is also worn as a social relevant statement or for medical reasons like a hospital patient’s id or an allergy bracelet.
A Brief History
The word “bracelet” was believed to have originated from the word “brachile”, which is a Latin term that means “of the arm”. Before, bracelets are thought to always have a spiritual or religious meaning and not really as a decoration of the body. The people who lived in Latin America way back let their babies wear one to protect them from evil eyes.
Most people in Asia and Europe before also considered them as protection from bad spirits and sometimes, just protection from bad luck.
A Scarab Egyptian bracelet was found in one of the mummies that were discovered. It is believed to have great significance both socially and religiously.
People nowadays still wear bracelets that look like the ancient ones. There are some that are made from animal bones and local stones. However people use these items nowadays just as part of body fashion and not really because of any significant religious meaning.
Different Types of Bracelets
As time goes by, different types of bracelets were manufactured using different types of materials, here are some them:
* Sports bracelet – It was just a few years ago that this type of bracelet was popularized by Nike. It is made of silicone rubber. Most people call it a baller id or a sports wristband. Aside from the different colors, there is usually a popular name or a statement written on it. Due to its popularity nowadays, a lot of manufacturers came up with their own sports bracelets with different colors and styles as a promotional tool.
* Charm bracelet – this is a type of bracelet that carries dangling charms, pendants, or trinkets that usually have meaning to the person wearing it. A charm may be heart or a star, it can be letters that form initials of a name, or it can also be a small photo frame. There are many other different types of charms and they usually represent something like love, friendship, or a representation of a special occasion. It is a good gift idea for anyone special.
* Bangle – this is a bracelet that is in the form of a single ring. It usually has no opening and is worn by slipping it from the hand to the wrist. It is one of the oldest types of jewellery and you can wear more than one bangle for a different look. Nowadays, bangles have gone through many changes, and some are offered in different shapes. It can also be made of different kinds of materials like titanium, stainless steel and plastic.
* Slap bracelet – this is also known as a snap bracelet. It was one of the most popular kind back in the early 80’s. It is made of a flexible metal which is gently slapped to a person’s wrist where it curves, encircling the wrist and turns to a nice fitting bracelet.
* Beaded bracelet – This is basically a bracelet made of beads. Due to the availability of wide variety of beads, a bead bracelet can be customized by the owner based on her preference. The ideas are endless for this type of bracelet. Because beads are smaller compared to other materials used for bracelets, beaded ones can be very colorful as you can combine multi-colored glass or plastic beads that you want.
Bracelets have always been a trend anywhere in the world. It won’t be a surprise if there are new types that will be introduced in the near future.
Jenny Postami has worked as a jewelry consultant for several years. Currently she is with Sandra’s Designs. For the latest in uniquely designed bracelets or vintage style sterling silver bracelets you might want to consider checking her website.
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