yesterday or the day before, i commented on a piece written by a lady on wp ( i would therefore like to dedicate this to piece to her) and it reminded me of so many things, because my comment and her writing opened up thoughts and brought back memories. these revolve around my bangle. it is made of silver and has been polished with wear over time. i never, never take it off except for medical reasons when i have been forced to remove it, once or twice (and to take the accompanying picture). it is the one item that might as well be an extension of my body. it has an unusual shape in that it is a perfect oval and the oval itself is a round tube, about 6mm in diameter. i have never seen one quite like it anywhere and i have been told by those who 'know' that the shape and design is indeed special. it was covered in a pattern of the tiniest, what is best described as scratches. these have since been worn off nearly entirely and the merest inkling of a bit of scratching can be seen on the (in)side if one looks really well. i am hoping some of it will be visible on the photograph. even buying the bangle was memorable. i didn't have the money and had to borrow from a friend, i wanted it so badly. i am very pleased that i did. i really love this piece more than any other item of jewellery that i possess. i have had many more expensive pieces of silver (i do not like gold at all and have only one gold piece, a toe ring that is really beautiful, looks like the genuine gold it is and it was a gift), but i have had them melted to make rings that i designed, or have given them away.
i was not sure of the difference between bangles and bracelets, but now i am pleased that i took the trouble to look it up (i am not sure that every detail below is one hundred percent accurate, though).
although both words are commonly used to describe jewellery worn on the wrist, many people don't know how each is actually defined and how best to find the type and style that is best for themselves or for someone else.
bangle:
the word bangle originated from the hindi word 'bangri' which translates to 'ring shaped anklet'. an ancient figurine of a dancing girl wearing bangles was discovered during an archeological excavation that dates back to 2600 bc. the oldest bangles were usually made of materials such as bronze, copper, and sea shells while modern bangles range from platinum, gold and silver right through to plastics, rubber and glass.
bangles are also used as traditional pieces for women in south east asia, most commonly in india, sri lanka, bangladesh and pakistan where they are usually made of gold. in some parts of the world, a new bride will (i love this!) wear glass bangles at her wedding and the honeymoon will continue until the last bangle is broken (imagine that, i would be so careful with those bangles, i would have a honeymoon for years). in hinduism, it is quite uncommon to ever see a married woman not wearing bangles, while the kara is one of the 5 articles of faith in sikhism.
the basic difference between a bangle and a bracelet is that bangles are formed from one or two rigid pieces (as opposed to a bracelet which is a flexible set of links). bangles come in two distinct designs:
1) those that are a full circle where the hand is passed through and which hangs loosely on the wrist or are hinged to allow them to be of a smaller diameter and a tighter fit while still appearing to be a full circle. these can be worn singly or stacked into groups depending on the style and weight of each bangle.
2) those that are a partial ring, usually an oval c shape with an opening on the underside through which the wrist is squeezed to form a more tightly fitting cuff. these are extremely versatile as a design, being more flexible in terms of sizing and fit and a much better option for those with larger hands who struggle to fit though the full circle style.
these c shaped bangles should be sized once at purchase and closed sufficiently that the wrist can just pass through the underside gap. they should then be left at this optimum size. you should never open and close a silver bangle repeatedly or excessively. silver is a soft metal and extreme or repeated flexing will snap it.
bracelet:
the word bracelet traces back to the french word 'brachialle' which roughly translates to armlet. while a bangle is a solid piece, bracelets are flexible and usually based around some sort of chain or strand that allows the piece to drape around the wrist before being closed with some form of clasp.
the history of the bracelet dates back to 5000 BC in ancient egypt where the 'scarab bracelet', said to represent rebirth and regeneration, has served as one of the most recognizable symbols of that era.
unlike bangles, bracelets are flexible in design. most commonly they are a row of beads, links, threads or hinged pieces linked together in a single line with a clasp at each end which is wrapped around the wrist and then closed.
the most common bracelets would be silver chains, however with the versatility of a chain as the base, almost anything is possible. individually cast solid silver pieces can be linked by small pieces of chain. chains can be decorated with a vast array of shapes. they can be threaded with beads or even in the case of liquid silver, thousands of solid silver tubes can be threaded onto fine cotton strands and twisted together to form shimmering ropes. the options in bracelet design are almost endless.
what to buy, what to avoid:
if you have large hands and small wrists, avoid the full circle style bangles. to get one on, you'll need the larger sizes which will then be far too big for your wrist.
hinged bangles work best on people with an average frame as they tend to pinch the larger wrists.
if you spend a lot of time in front of a laptop, avoid the circular bangle, the tapping and flapping about will drive you (or your co-workers) crazy (i had a friend who sometimes stayed over and complained that my bangles woke him up during the night - in the next room!).
the c-shape bangle is by far the most versatile, it will work on almost any shape or size of wrist as it fits snugly to the wrist and can be adjusted (once) for a perfect fit.
if you prefer something less noticeable, with a 'softer' feel, go for a bracelet.
buying a gift, or if you are unsure of the size, look for ones with adjustable clasps so that you reduce the risk of a mis-size and can adjust it to exactly the size for you.
if looking for a matching set, start with a bracelet as most bracelets are chain based, you stand a far better chance of finding a matching necklace with a bracelet than a bangle.
whether you opt for a bangle or a bracelet, think about scale and use, and make sure you choose a design that is going to be appropriate to the build and lifestyle of the woman (or man, i think) who will wear it.
do you have favourite pieces of anything that you wear all the time and never remove? i would like to read what you have to say about them, if you want. thank you.
seasofme200117
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