Bodaciously Beautiful Bracelets!

Bracelets, along with earrings, are my favorite pieces of jewelry.  I especially love sterling and gemstone cuffs and will often wear them stacked on my left arm (I live in the Southwest, after all!).  Bracelets come in so many different styles and materials.  While browsing through the artist's studios of the Jewelry Creators Unite in Numbers guild, I decided to curate a collection and named it "Bodaciously Beautiful Bracelets".  What a fun collection it was to put together - and hard, too, since there were so many beauties to choose from!  I decided to blog about the bracelets and also share a short history of this ancient type of adornment.  

Vintage butterscotch, egg yolk and faux turtle shell amber bracelet by Anna of CraftsofthePast

The human history of bracelets is a long one.  I can just imagine pre-historic man picking up long strands of grasses, twisting the grasses and tying the resulting strand around a wrist.  The origin of the term "bracelet" is taken from the Greek word "brachile" meaning "of the arm".  Bracelets, along with other forms of jewelry, were worn, especially by women, as status symbols to show off the wealth of their family.    

Celtic style braided copper cuff with spiral ends by Dawn of JewelryArtbyDawn

Mountain range and picture jasper sterling silver cuff bracelet by Quentin of lunarskies

In 2008, Russian archaeologists, working at the Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia, not only discovered a small bone from the finger of a woman (now called the "X woman"), but also many artifacts.  One of these artifacts was a bracelet that has been carbon dated back to 40,000 BCE (Before Common Era).  

 

Brown and teal lampwork heart charm bracelet with jasper, shells crystals and copper by Julie of BlueMorningExpressions

The ancient Egyptians were some of the first to be depicted wearing bracelets, as far back as 5000 BCE.  These early bracelets were created with materials such as bones, stones and wood to serve religious and spiritual aspects.  But they quickly emerged as highly coveted pieces of jewelry for the wealthy.  One of the most commonly recognized symbols used throughout Egyptian history (and into modern times) was the scarab.  It was used on bracelets, on other jewelry and art to represent rebirth and regeneration as the scarab god, Khepri, pushed the sun across the sky.  

An oxidized silver and onyx cuff bracelet, called "Date Night" by Simona of adora_by_simona

Bracelets became increasingly popular with Greek men.  Soldiers often wore bands of leather on their forearms used for defense during battle.  These increasingly became decorated with gold, silver and gemstones.  The leather bands were called "bracels".  Men who were not in the army began copying soldier's arm wear.  Then the women decided smaller versions would look good on them, called "bracel-ets".  The name has stuck to this day!  

Genuine leather multi-strand bracelet with agate and copper by Elaine of zoomgraphik

Martenitsa is a tradition in Bulgaria on March 1 which involves tying a red and white string around the wrist.  This is supposed to please Baba Marta, a mythical creature who brings with her the end of winter and the coming of spring.  A similar tradition happens in Greece.  A bracelet woven from red and white string is tied around the wrist on March 1, "Martis", and worn until the end of summer.  The bracelet is hoped to protect the wearer's skin form the strong Greek sun.  Hmmm . . . wonder if this will work for El Paso sun??? 

Red and yellow fused glass dragonfly bracelet by Roxanne of ShanghaiTai

Excessive looks of admiration or of envy by an individual is believed to give the evil eye to another.  In Latin America, azabache bracelets are often worn to protect against the mal de ojo, or evil eye.  Newborn babies often are given a gold bracelet or necklace with a red or black coral charm in the shape of a fist to ward off the mal de ojo.     

Polymer clay flower bracelet with mixed gemstones, seeds and copper by Mary of PrettyGonzo

Charm bracelet:  Very popular right now, charm bracelets usually carry personal charms that signifies something important in the wearer's life.  

Alternative health bracelets:  These include ionized bracelets, magnetic bracelets, karma bracelets, etc.  These are not necessarily distinguished by their design but by their alternative medicine function.  My Dad swore that the copper bracelet he wore helped with his arthritis.

Sports bracelets:  The use of colored silicone rubber as a material for bracelets was popularized by Nike and Lance Armstrong in 2003  They are now commonly used as awareness bracelets for various charities. 

Paracord survival bracelets:  These are knotted bracelets that are typically created from 550 parachute cord.  Just like duct tape and WD-40 with 1001 uses, the bracelets can be taken apart and the cord can be used for various (emergency) situations, such as fishing, ridgelines for tarps, to tie splints, etc.

Purple recycled glass, sea sediment jasper, pearl and copper bracelet by Catherine of ShadowDogDesigns

I hope you enjoyed this short history of bracelets and some of the many types of bracelets that can be found throughout history and into the modern times.  But, most importantly, I hope you enjoyed drooling over the fabulous creation from the talented artists of the JCUiN that were included in the "Bodaciously Beautiful Bracelets" collection.  Any comments on the collection, on the blog or both will be make my day. And any promotion will be greatly appreciated by all the artists featured  (:  Thank you!