Bracelets

Women from all ages can’t seem to get enough of bracelets all throughout the different generations and have consequently taken almost all imaginable forms and designs. However, a quick peek back to the historical archives would let you in on the fact that the popularity of these fancy wrists adornments actually dates as far back as the ancient Roman era, where snake bracelets and engraved bangles was at the height of fashion. At that time, among the highly coveted pieces was the Heracles knot and the twisted coil design with two lion head figures at both ends of the bracelets that were seen worn by both sexes.

During the Georgian period, it was regarded to be quite stylish to wear different types of bracelets at once and among the prevailing trend were the gold mesh ribbon bracelets and the silk ribbon ones. Women were also seen sporting gems and diamonds incorporated on their wrist cuffs in geometrical patterns heavily cast in gold. At the dawn of the Victorian times, the fashion rage was the buckle bracelets and charm bracelets that came along with lockets worn with pictures of loved ones complete with intricate deigns and engravings. Victorian jewelries can also be largely observed with designs that have some mystic and hidden meanings into it. Among the popular ones was the acrostic bracelet that uses the first letter of gemstones to artistically spell out the word friendship or love. In the Art Nouveau age, dainty and exotic animals seem to have found their way in the designs in the more creative forms of wrist accessories, which included figures of chameleon, serpents, butterflies, peacocks, swans, dragonflies and even bats.

In the early part on the 19th century, women’s dresses became significantly shorter and growing bolder and a tad brazen. This consequently had a considerable effect on how bracelets were worn. Traditionally bangles and delicate chains were seen worn at the wrist were worn at the upper arms and adorned with more colorful stone. Gold was still viewed to be the primary choice for jewelries and this can be prevalently seen in the antique designs of bracelets during that period. In the 1970’s people have grown to prefer more flexible bangles and less ostentatious and showy designs. Hence the dainty baguettes were considered vogue and a few years later jewelry trends slowly strayed away from the dictates of fashion and have become more of a personal statement more that anything else.

It was not until the 80’s that sterling silver bracelets were finally acknowledged as a wonderful alternative to gold chains that were becoming increasingly expensive by the year. Young adults and teenagers soon developed a keen partiality for silver bracelets because it has proven to be more versatile and wearable with almost all types of wardrobes, not to mention significantly less expensive too. In the 20th and 21st century wrist bands have incorporate every possible materials one can possibly think of that provided more variety and a dash of interest into what is now considered to be a timeless pieces of jewelry items.

Today, bracelets are no longer worn solely for ornamental purposes only; it has developed to become more meaningful and functional. People who are staunch advocates for a certain cause wear colored rubber wrist tags to show support, others see it as a strong marketing engine and still there are some who merely use it as a form of identification. Among the most astonishing turn that this seemingly simple form of jewelry has taken to is its surprising role in the medical field. Magnetic bracelets claim to relieve a person from wrist pains, arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome and even said to significantly reduce swelling and inflammation. While there may be some people who will predictably raise some eyebrows on some of these ambiguous claims, one can’t help to anticipate what can man possibly think of next? The rest of the female population certainly waits with bated breath.