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Bracelet

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A bracelet is a piece of jewelry worn around the wrist.

Gold charm bracelet
Gold charm bracelet

People wear them as beautiful ornaments or to show what they care about. Some bracelets hold tiny decorations called charms. These small shapes can represent hobbies, interests, or special memories.

Other bracelets serve very practical jobs. For example, medical bracelets can hold important health information. Some people wear specific colors to show support for a cause. If a bracelet is a single, stiff loop, it is called a bangle.

Metal bangles
Metal bangles

There are many ways to make these items. You might find bracelets made of metal, leather, or cloth.

Baltic amber bracelet with mix of colors
Baltic amber bracelet with mix of colors

Some use beads made of wood, plastic, or crystal. Beaded bracelets use a string or elastic to hold the beads together. Link bracelets are made by connecting similar parts together. A penannular bracelet is an incomplete circle made from one piece of material.

Some bracelets are even made of stretchy fabric called spandex. These often have bright, colorful designs printed on them.

Bracelets have a very long history. Egyptian bracelets date back as far as 5000 BCE.

Ancient Egyptians used bone, stone, and wood to make them. One famous type is the scarab bracelet. The scarab represented rebirth and was linked to the god Khepri.

In Siberia, archaeologists found a bracelet in a cave. This item was found near a bone fragment from a person called the Denisova hominin. That bracelet was dated to around 40,000 years ago.

Different cultures use bracelets in unique ways. In Bulgaria, people tie red and white strings to welcome spring.

Metal bangles
Metal bangles

In Greece, a similar tradition is called Martis. People wear red and white strings to protect their skin from the sun. In India, the type of glass bangles a woman wears can show if she is married.

Metal bangles
Metal bangles

In Sikhism, an iron bracelet is one of the five mandatory items. In Latin America, people wear Azabache bracelets to protect against the evil eye. These often have a small coral charm shaped like a fist.

Some bracelets are even named after famous moments. A tennis bracelet is made of many small, identical settings.

18K Yellow Gold Tennis Bracelet
18K Yellow Gold Tennis Bracelet

These settings often hold round diamonds. The name comes from a tennis player named Chris Evert. During the 1978 U.S. Open, her diamond bracelet fell onto the court. She said, "I dropped my tennis bracelet." Since then, people have used that name for this style.

18K Yellow Gold Tennis Bracelet
18K Yellow Gold Tennis Bracelet

Other bracelets, like silicone ones, became popular for charity and awareness campaigns.

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🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:Gold charm bracelet.JPG
Gold charm bracelet.JPG
File:Byzantine weave bracelet 31Oct2010 arp.jpg
Byzantine weave bracelet 31Oct2010 arp.jpg
File:Hinged Cuff Bracelet MET 26.8.129 EGDP018036.jpg
Hinged Cuff Bracelet MET 26.8.129 EGDP018036.jpg
File:Ars Summum Tesoro Oxus brazalete.JPG
Ars Summum Tesoro Oxus brazalete.JPG
File:Metal bangles.jpg
Metal bangles.jpg
File:Baltic amber bracelet with mix of colors.jpg
Baltic amber bracelet with mix of colors.jpg
File:Elastic-bracelet-from-zox.jpg
Elastic-bracelet-from-zox.jpg
File:Shadowkite-bracelet-lc.jpg
Shadowkite-bracelet-lc.jpg
File:SILICONE & STAINLESS STEEL ID BRACELET.jpg
SILICONE & STAINLESS STEEL ID BRACELET.jpg
File:18K Yellow Gold Tennis Bracelet.jpg
18K Yellow Gold Tennis Bracelet.jpg
File:Zircon Bracelet.jpg
Zircon Bracelet.jpg
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