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The earliest bracelets date back to around 2500 BC and were
those worn by the Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia. Bracelets,
necklaces, anklets, finger rings and ear rings made the women of
Sumer into show windows of their husband's prosperity. Bracelets
were found in the tombs of Ur where it was customary to bury
royalty with their jewelry and unfortunately their poor
servants.
By about 2000 BC, in Ancient Egypt, bracelets emerged as major
pieces of jewelry. Bracelets were found in the ruins from the
Vesuvias eruption in Pompeii in 79 AD.
It was during the age of the Egyptian Pharaohs that charm
bracelets were first seen although charms themselves dated back
as far as the Neolithic era when men would gather unusual bits
of wood or pieces of stone which would be carried about their
person in order to ward off their enemies. So these charms were
considered ‘lucky charms’ and powerful protectors against evil.
It wasn’t until the time of the Pharaohs though that these
charms were incorporated into elaborate pieces of jewelry such
as wrist and neck bracelets which were not only deemed to offer
protection but were also a sign of how prosperous the person had
been in life and after death would be an indicator to the Gods
of this persons proper status in the after life.
In Grecian times bracelets were popular with men and soldiers
wore defensive bands of leather, often decorated with gold,
silver and or gemstones, on their forearms. They were known as
‘Bracels,’ from the Latin Brachium, meaning, ‘arm.’ When women
caught on that these Bracels would look great on them, they
started wearing smaller versions, called little Bracels...or
‘Bracel-ets.’
The history of bracelets stretches forward through the Middle
Ages of medieval Europe through the Baroque period of the 18th
century, and on right through to the present.
Throughout time, bracelets have been made from many different
materials such as leather, iron, copper, beads, bone and teeth
as well as precious metals and gemstone.
Throughout the ages bracelets have always been popular and the
styles seem to have varied according to dress styles. In
cultures where people wore sleeveless or short sleeved attire
such as the Romans and ancient Greeks, the wearing of bracelets
both on the upper and lower arm became popular with both men and
women. The wearing of upper arm bracelets is still popular today
with modern fashionable skimpy clothing lending itself well to
the wearing of more jewelry.
Today, bracelets are worn by both men and women in a variety of
materials such as traditional precious metals like gold silver
and platinum. Modern plastics and acrylics are now much used to
make trendy, unusual bracelets as well as metals like titanium
and zirconium which have become popular because they are hard
wearing, very light and hypoallergenic. Whatever your tastes and
whatever your budget, there is an enormous choice of bracelets
and bangles to suit everyone.
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