Worn around the arm, the bracelet is quite possibly one of
the oldest pieces of jewelry invented by mankind. Archaeologists have been able
to determine this as long as 7,000 years ago. Humans wore bracelets made of
twigs, bones and shells. What else will a history of the bracelet reveal?
2000 BC and later:
Egyptian and Sumerian women were known to regard bracelets as status symbols.
The more bracelets a woman owned, the wealthier her husband was thought to be.
If the wear of numerous bracelets was combined with the wear of other jewelry
items, she would be considered a member of the ruling class or at least
aspiring to this status. Common materials included leather, silver and gold. In
China,
nobles wore cuffs as well as bangles carved from jade. A favorite motif was the
mythical dragon and other animals.
1300 BC and later:
While bracelets continued to be status symbols, the ready availability of
African gemstones now altered the size and shape of the jewelry. Skilled
artisans began experimenting with inlays and durable settings. Men, too, became
enamored with the wear of this jewelry item. Bracelets now became popular items
that would be passed on to the next generation of wearers in a family.
476 AD and later:
Greeks were famous for the cuff bracelets that men and women would wear. These items
were worn on the upper as well as the lower arms. While soldiers used these
cuffs as protection against sword cuts to the wrists, women relied on them to
accessorize their wardrobes. During this time, the gold bangle also came into
fashion. Due to the Greeks’ fascination with snakes, plenty of bangles were
fashioned to resemble snakes coiled around a wearer’s arm. Chinese artisans
engraved nature scenes on their bangles.
1601 and later:
European royals favored satin ribbon bracelets that would hold precious stones.
Before long, charm bracelets came into style. This style continued on and found
heavy influences from the Victorian Era, when mourning jewelry, royal jewelry
and bracelet styles intertwined.
1920 and later:
Bracelets were now in the domain of the common woman. It no longer mattered if
she was rich, had a wealthy husband, belonged to the upper classes or had to
perform menial labor. The ability to mass produce these jewelry pieces opened
up this fashion accessory to virtually anyone. Since that time, bracelets were
influenced by changing styles and fashion fads. There were the clean lines of
the Art Deco era and the plastic bangles for tweens. There were the wide
plastic pieces of the 1980s and the slap-on bracelets that were little more
than a metal strip covered with fabric. Nowadays, connoisseurs enjoy the more
refined slimmer items made of titanium, platinum and tungsten.
Of course, if you give it enough time, the styles and looks
will change once more. That said, the bracelet itself is here to stay and will
never go out of style.
Peter Suchy Jewelers invites you to visit our showroom at
1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford Connecticut.
Love shopping for vintage and estate jewelry online? Head on
over to our eBay store where we are a top-rated seller.
No comments:
Post a Comment