Bracelets Academy: History of Fashion Accessories Series

By Ida Tomshinsky

In a way, bracelets are among the most common form of jewelry. With the exception of earrings, bracelets are the most popular jewelry in the world. The book is a brief history lesson for bracelet curiosity types, jewelry aficionados, and collectors. The book explains the meaning, trendsetting, and evolving function of bracelets. It is an exciting reading from college students to professional jewelry makers, sellers, and buyers. The Bracelets Academy is a comprehensive resource filled with facts, quotes, and fascinating information that only a librarian can put together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524578237

Ida Tomshinsky

Mrs. Ida Tomshinsky, is a long-time Librarian, with a capital “L.” She is kind to share with readers her personal professional story and how she says in the book, “It was an honor and privilege to serve the local communities.” Many people think that the Librarian occupation is in the past, and the Internet and Google can give anyone abundance of information on the fast request. Today, in the modern digital world, we need the librarians’ input more than ever before to guide throughout the getaway of books, digital resources, and “fake” news and facts.

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Copyright © 2017 by Ida Tomshinsky.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 01/27/2017

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CONTENTS

Brief History Lesson for Bracelet Curiosity Type

Bracelet University

The Role of Gemstones for Bracelets Embellishments

Meaning of Bracelets

Trendsetting

Evolving Functions

Facts About Bracelets From the Desk of the Teaching Professor

Reference List of Selected Jewelry Designers

References

Today bracelets are among the most popular forms of jewelry. Except for earrings, bracelets are the most popular jewelry in the world. In a way, jewelry is a testament to how history repeats itself! By comparing jewelry from hundreds of years ago to contemporary jewelry, we will notice that ancient jewelry continues to inspire our current styles. Every kiss begins with…fine jewelry, says the famous TV advertising. From classic sterling silver to colorful woven leather, everyone can tell its own story on the assortment of bracelets.

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Exactly when someone first discovered that tying a vine around the wrist made a pretty decoration? It is not known, but people have worn bracelets for centuries. The best artisans of many cultures apply their skills to the bracelet designs still worn today by both women and men.

In general, ever since the dawn of human race, jewelry managed to be a constant presence and driving force of many fashion and cultural changes men and women experienced trough each millennium. Luminous multicultural fairy tales tell wonder of nature woven with legends.

Professor has been spoken as any bracelet will draw attention to the beauty of wrists and hands. The bracelets’ gentle jingle is a constant reminder of a sparkling presence that turns even an everyday event into a more festive occasion. Women throughout history, from Cleopatra to Melania Trump, have worn bracelets as decorative accessories, and contemporary women continue to keep the bracelet tradition going strong.

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Brief History Lesson for Bracelet Curiosity Type

Let us consider this history lesson as a start or a brief introduction to the history of bracelets with a basic definition. The English word ‘bracelet’ is derived from the Latin word brachium, which simply means ‘arm.’ The wearing of jewelry for individual adornment and rituals may have started as far back as 7,000 years ago. Archeologists have found evidence that people were worn bracelets in various ancient civilizations including Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China. Early bracelets were made of grasses, slender tree limbs and shells, then later, from copper and bronze. After the Bronze Age, 2000 to 1400 B.C., artisans made bracelets out of gold and silver. Jewelry became a symbol of wealth and status decorated with various materials. There are archaeological evidence of the Ancient Egyptians wearing bracelets from as early as 5,000 B.C. However, an obsidian bracelet found in Turkey in 1995 significantly beats these estimates, dating back to about 7,500 B.C. Although researchers were amazed of the craftsmanship evident in 9,500-year-old bracelet, which makes it likely that it was not the first of its kind made.

Let’s look at the origins of jewelry! All the gold, silver, and precious jewels of the world were intended to have a practical use. Since even small amounts of these minerals are so rare and valuable, long ago they began to be used as currency. Over time, people began wearing their monetary items to impress others with their wealth. When shoppers went to the market to buy an expensive item, they would simply pull off one of their rings or bracelets to pay.

After Rebecca, had watered the camels for Abraham’s servant, the Bible says that he paid her with gold and jewelry. And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets of her hands of ten shekels’ weight of gold. (Genesis 24:22)

When the children of Israel brought an offering to the Lord to build the tabernacle [a case], they used the jewels they had received from the Egyptians. It was their money. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered an offering of gold unto the Lord. (Exodus 35:22)

Most ancient civilizations settled along the water areas, which facilitated the development of agriculture and animal farming. Later, it led to new world discoveries of virginal deposits of minerals such as gold and beautiful stones. Today, we know that prehistoric humans had ornaments for decorating every part of the body. For the arms and hands, craftsmen designed fashionable armlets, bracelets, and rings as practicality found chic, beauty, and style.

Ancient Egypt

By the time of the First Dynasty, about 2,680 B.C., Egyptians were wearing bracelets made of gold and silver and decorated them with semiprecious stones. Skilled goldsmiths of the New Kingdom (1558 - 1085 B.C.) crafted decorated designs made of African gemstones. Although bracelets were sometimes buried in tombs as part of the deceased’s possessions, it appears that they were worn as decorative accessories rather than as amulets or ritual jewelry. Per the National Geographic Society, the scarab bracelet is one of the most recognized symbols of ancient Egypt. The scarab represented rebirth and regeneration. Carved scarabs were worn as jewelry and wrapped into the linen bandages of mummies. It is told in Egyptian mythology that the scarab God Khepri is pushing the sun across the sky.

Four bracelets were discovered at Abydos in the tomb of King Djer of the First Dynasty. They were worn by an unnamed woman, believed to be a member of the royal family. The bracelets were held in place by linen bandages, which made it possible to recover them in their original order of stringing. The beads are composed of gold, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and amethyst. They are of exquisite workmanship, demonstrating the skill of the ancient craftsmen in this early period of Egyptian history.

In 1922, the excavation by Howard Carter of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in Thebes unearthed over hundred items of priceless jewelry. Tutankhamun’s scarab beetle bracelet and a scarab beetle pectoral represented the morning sun, fertility and rejuvenation.

The description of the jewelry found in the tomb belonged to Queen Ashhotep, the wife of Pharaoh Tao II, 1558 B.C. – 1554 B.C. (18th dynasty), provides facts and information about the style of the ornate royal Egyptian jewelry. A beautiful bracelet was found on the wrist of the queen. The bracelet is made of solid gold and consists of three parallel bands set with turquoises. In a way, it is a typical Egyptian bracelet: rigid, can be open by means of a hinge. The front part is decorated with a vulture; whose outspread wings cover the front half of the bracelet.

The ancient Egyptians highly valued personal adornment, and jewelry was worn by both men and women of all social classes. Statues of kings were adorned with lavish jewels, and the deceased were sent off into the afterlife ornamented in the jewelry of the living. Earrings, bracelets, armbands, collar pieces, rings and anklets were all common types of adornments worn in ancient Egypt. Those who could afford it, wore jewelry of gold, silver and precious stones. Sometimes, the gemstones were attached to the linen clothes. Rich and upper class could afford to change their clothes often. Perhaps the ancient Egyptians exercised the prelude to the modern dry cleaning. Poor people wore jewelry made of copper or bronze. More often, their jewelry items were worn on a flesh body, the same way we are wearing them today.

The ancient Egyptians loved ornamentation. Jewelry was designed, crafted and worn with great care of understanding the craftsmanship. In their typical holistic fashion, fine jewelry was valued not only for its beauty, but also for the magical and spiritual protection jewelry provided for its wearer. Did the concept of purely ornamental adornment exist for the ancients? Did they make that distinction between amulets and jewelry? Many anthropologists believe not.

Minerals and metals were identified with specific divinities as well as with specific spiritual and therapeutic values. Therefore, their words for lapis lazuli, the ultramarine color, and turquoise were synonymous with joy and delight, respectively. Copper and malachite were identified with Hathor, an ancient Egyptian goddess depicted as a cow; gold connected to the solar deity: the sun-god or son-goddess.

The style of Egyptian jewelry described as bracelets were produced in a variety of different types. Some bracelets were anklets and armlets which might consist of plain gold rings, both solid and hollow, bordered with plaited chain-work in imitation of filigree. Other bracelets were designed for wearing on the wrist, like the bracelets of modern ladies, and were made of small beads in gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, and green felspar. These items of Egyptian jewelry were often strung on gold wire in a chequer pattern: each square divided diagonally in halves of different colors. The bracelets were fastened by means of a gold pin.

Egyptian nobility favored necklaces, bracelets, belts, amulets, pendants, hair beads and many other jewelry types that were decorated with the designs of scarab beetles, scrolls, winged birds, tigers, jackals and antelopes. One especially interesting jewelry material that was often used was colored glass. Colored glass was first discovered in Egypt, initially very expensive and rare, which can be found in various depiction of birds, where sparkly glass pieces represented feathers. Egyptian nobles did not carry their expensive jewelry during life, but they also wore it in death, left by their side in elaborate burial ceremonies. This tradition of securing jewelry in hard to reach places enabled modern archeologist to discover vast quantities of perfectly preserved Egyptian wealth and share it with the world thousands of years later.

In Egypt, pharaohs are seen in wall paintings with multicolored bracelets consisting of parallel vertical stripes