The Evolution of the Bangle

Bracelets and
bangles, along with necklaces, are among the oldest forms of jewellery known to
exist. As with necklaces, early
bracelets were made from organic materials and nothing has survived intact from
these early periods. There have been
discoveries of stone and crystal bracelets from as early as 40,000 years ago,
and a statue unearthed in 1973 depicting a girl wearing an arm full of bangles
is the earliest evidence of this type of jewellery actually being worn; while
earlier fragments of what appear to be bracelets have been found, there is no
evidence that they were worn in the way we would wear bangles today.
The
difference between a bangle and a bracelet is that a bangle is solid and either
slips over the hand or fastens with a catch, while a bracelet is more flexible,
usually made up of links of metal or cord, and is tied on or fastened with a
catch. Early bangles were made from
stone, terracotta, glass or shells; from the Bronze Age onwards metal was
usually used to fashion all types of jewellery, including bangles and
bracelets.
India and the
surrounding countries have the longest traditions around bangles and they hold
a lot of cultural significance, which changes from region to region and even
from family to family. It is common for
young children, both boys and girls, to wear bangles on their arms and even
around their ankles. Bangles are also
traditional for brides on their wedding day and after marriage – glass bangles
in particular are used to symbolise commitment and stability in marriage and it
is said that the honeymoon is officially over when the last bangle breaks.
The word
bangle actually comes from the Hindi word for glass, bungri, and the
Hindu religion places a lot of significance on jewellery from nose rings to
bangles and everything in between. It is
considered to be improper for a married Hindu woman to have bare arms, so
bangles serve a very important cultural and religious purpose.
In the west
bracelets and bangles were popular with Roman and Anglo Saxon cultures, Romans
especially wore a lot of jewellery as an adornment and as a status symbol; the
word bracelet derives from the Latin word for arm, brachium. Romans also wore arm adornments which were
similar in style to their rigid torc style necklaces. These were technically bangles and were
designed to be worn around the upper arm.
Bracelets
were very popular in the 17th century, when noblewomen would wear
several bracelets, bangles and thin ribbons on one wrist. This trend developed into charm bracelets by
the Victorian era. In the early 20th
century new materials like Bakelite were fashionable with forward thinking
groups, and these new plastics were used to make jewellery including
bangles. These new durable materials
lent themselves to the clean simple lines of the Art Deco period right up to
the present day.
Nowadays
fashions change a lot more frequently and there is a lot of choice for everyone
who wants to wear bracelets or bangles.
It is no longer the preserve of women, men are now often seen with
bracelets and bangles made from all types of materials from wood, leather and
plastic to precious metals. There is
also a modern trend for wearing wristbands, usually made from rubbery material,
to show support for a charity or cause, and these bangles are a modern status
symbol, or proof of a person's affiliation with a particular social or
demographic group.
Our modern
bracelets and bangles draw some inspiration from traditional designs and
incorporate a modern twist to keep our look up to date and appealing to modern
consumers.
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