jewellery designs may have changed over the ages but has all ways been worn by both men and women
Where does the word jewellery originate? Well in fact its true meaning is plaything derived from a word from the Latin language jocale but it was the stylish french that used the word jouel describing anything made from precious stones or metal and used to wear about your person that first reinterpreted the meaning into its popular form today.
In ancient Egypt bangles were major pieces of jewellery. Amazingly they have also been discovered in ruins beneath an eruption from Mount Vesuvius at Pompeii. It was important to indicate a persons standing in the community for both the Romans and the Egyptians. Jewellery was the perfect medium for this purpose being both beautiful to look at and of great value to the owner. In Grecian times bangles were popular with men and soldiers wore defensive bands of leather, often decorated with gold, silver and/or gemstones, on their forearms.
"Look how important I am." was the message ancient man communicated across to other by the wearing jewellery made from solid precious metals and stones. The types and varieties of jewellery have increased greatly over the years due to the discovery of newer lightweight metals and alloys. New possibilities in jewellery design are available for designers to readily experiment with.
Egyptian Pharaohs first wore bracelets or charm bracelets as they were known to bring good luck. Hence the name lucky charm. These were supposedly great protectors from evil. The Pharaohs of Egypt wore charm bracelets after death and were buried with their jewellery to indicate to their gods how prosperous they were in life. The charms were very elaborate pieces of jewellery. Throughout time, bracelets have been made from many different materials such as leather, iron, copper, beads, bone and teeth as well as precious metals and gemstone. Bracelets were known as ‘Bracels,’ from the Latin Brachium, meaning, ‘arm.’ When women caught on that these Bracels would look great on them, they started wearing smaller versions, called little Bracels…or ‘Bracel-ets.’
Right up to present day the history of the bracelet continued through the middle ages and then on into the 18th century of the Baroque period. The wearing of torque bracelets became popular in Roman times as the trend was to wear short sleeved tops. It was popular with both men and women. Throughout time, the wearing of bracelets and bangles have become even more popular with both men and women and not just as decorative pieces of jewellery, but as potent symbols of a persons standing in society as well as powerful protective shields against enemies or evil.
John Lewis runs a website that features unusual bracelets that are handcrafted in the UK.
