BRACELET

A bracelet is an article of jewelry which is worn around the wrist. Bracelets can be manufactured from leather, cloth, hemp, plastic or metal, and sometimes contain rocks, wood, and/or shells. Bracelets are also used for medical and identification purposes, such as allergy bracelets and hospital patient-identification tags.

The history of Egyptian bracelets is as old as 5000 BC. Starting with materials like bones, stones and woods to serve religious and spiritual interests. From the National Geographic Society, the Scarab Bracelet is one of the most recognized symbols of ancient Egypt. The scarab represented rebirth and regeneration. Carved scarabs were worn as jewelry and wrapped into the linen bandages of mummies. Myth told of the scarab god, Khepri, pushing the sun across the sky.

Shell bracelet from a c.1800 BC Nubian mercenary grave

In Latin America, Azabache Bracelets are worn to protect against the Mal de ojo, or evil eye. The evil eye is believed to result of excessive admiration or envious looks by others. Having newborn babies wear an azabache (a gold bracelet or necklace with a black or red coral charm in the form of a fist), is believed to protect them from the evil eye.^[1]

In Bulgaria there is a tradition called Martenitsa which sometimes involves tying a red and white string around the wrist to please Baba Marta to make spring come sooner.

In some parts of India, the number and type of bangles worn by a woman denotes her marital status. ^[2]

A charm bracelet is an item of jewelry worn around the wrist. It carries personal charms: decorative pendants or trinkets which are signifiers of important things in the wearer's life. In recent history, Italian charm bracelets have become trendy. While traditional charms dangle, Italian charms feature individual pieces soldered flat onto the surface of the link. There are even some kinds of bracelets that are said to make dreams come true, depending the color of the charms and beads.Bracelets that are in solid form, usually some metal, are referred to as bangles or bangle bracelets. They can be smooth, textured or set with stones. In India, glass bangles are common. Made from ordinary glass that is about 1/4 - 1/8 inch in width, they are worn in groups so that arm movement causes them to make a pleasant sound rather like the clinking of wind chimes.In the early 1980s, "slap bracelets" -- flat, felt-covered metal strips that curved around one's wrist when gently hit against it -- were a popular fad.Bracelets made from beads are fairly common in Southwestern American Indian Jewelry lore. They are often multi-colored however frequently have a predominance of turquoise