Bracelets from Links of London
Kissing your hand may make you feel very, very good but a diamond sapphire bracelet lasts forever. (Anita Loos [1888-1981], U.S. screenwriter and author of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)
Bracelets (from the Latin bracchiale, “armlet”) are arm ornaments that have been worn by both men and women since before recorded history. In ancient times, when worn by men they were often a sign of rank. Bracelets have been made of nearly every type of material, from metal to stone to gemstone and leather ancient China, Links of London Jewellery made of jade were popular, as were those made of inlaid wood. The Mogul emperors of India wore bracelets as part of their royal costume. Shell bracelets were common in the Ban Koa culture (2000-500 B.C.E) of what is now southern Thailand and Malaysia. In the Americas, Aztecs and Incas wore a variety of wrist cuff ornaments. In ancient Egypt, four bracelets were usually worn?atwo on each arm, with one above the elbow and the other at the wrist. They were sometimes plain gold bangles, or more often they were constructed of gold and glass beads with gold wire. In the later Ptolemaic and Roman periods of Egypt’s history, bracelets were often fashioned in the shape of serpents. The bracelet was also an important feature of ancient Roman and Greek fashion: Bracelets of pure gold, some set with gemstones, as well as coin armbands and Links of London Bangles made of glass, have been uncovered at many classical archaeological dig sites. Roman, Greek, and Egyptian pottery and other artwork depict men and women with bracelets decorating their arms. Some were obviously made to slip simply over the wrist; others were fashioned with a hook and eye or were cut to merely wrap or tie about the arm (known as cuffs).
Following the decline of the Roman Empire, bracelets among European peoples seem to have lost their appeal. This was due in part to changing fashions in the eras of long-sleeved daily costume, as well as differing sentiments regarding jewelry. The dawn of the Renaissance in Europe and the move to emulate classicism brought the wearing of bracelets full circle: Pomander bracelets with jewelry oils and scents, serpentine bracelets, Links of London sweetie bracelets with cameos of mythological figures, and bracelets studded with gemstones were all part of the resurgence of bracelet wearing in the post-Middle Ages. By the seventeenth century, bracelets were out of vogue again in Europe, but by the Victorian era, they were once again popular fashion accoutrements.1 This was the defining moment for the plain gold bangle bracelet (ca. 1870), though pearl bands, elegant diamond wrist wear, gemstone cuffs, and strands of a loved one’s hair, woven to be worn near the hand, were innovations of the era.
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