A bracelet makes a wonderful gift for a woman or man, of any age.
The main types of bracelets include bangle, hinged bangle, flexible/stretch, cuff, hinged cuff, and link. Within the link style are ID, charm, tennis or straight line, and toggle types.
Rather than being solid, bracelets may be hollow reducing the weight and price. So be aware, this may not be a bad thing. However, if the metal is too thin it will be prone to denting and breaking.
So let Copeland’s advise you on the gauge and type of bracelets that will be right for you, your budget, and your lifestyle.
Straight Line Bracelets
Straight line bracelets, also known as eternity or tennis bracelets are extremely popular.
This bracelet was coined as a tennis bracelet when famed tennis player Chrissie Evert wore one during most of her matches. Most noteworthy, during the U.S. Open, her diamond bracelet fell off her arm, delaying the match to look for it. Hence the name tennis bracelet.
Tennis/eternity bracelets are being made from any shape and stone, including diamonds, and set in any type of link as long as they’re in a straight line. Therefore, there is a vast number of interesting combinations of alternating patterns, colors, and shapes.
You will also find many different types of closures and clasps for these style bracelets. For reasons of security, Copeland Jewelers can add a safety chain to your more expensive bracelets to reduce your risk of losing a favorite piece.
Link Bracelets
Link bracelets are most noteworthy and can be crafted from a huge variety of links and may also include stones. While separate links lend added comfort, each link may be the same or can be a combination of different links.
Also, you can find several types of closures and clasps available for link bracelets. Copeland Jewelers can add a safety chain to your bracelet reducing your risk of losing a favorite piece. Or most importantly, securing your very important medical alert bracelet.
When you add a bar to a link bracelet it becomes an ID bracelet and besides that, it adds engravability. ID bracelets have long been a fashionable piece of jewelry and especially with your name or monogram engraved on it.
Over the years many boys wearing ID (identification) bracelets have given them to their girlfriends to wear. Also, some people are engraving a loved one’s name, a special date, or an inspirational word on the bracelet, thereby giving the bracelet extra meaning. In this way, an ID bracelet makes a memorable gift that will last a lifetime with a thoughtful message to a parent, friend, sibling, or partner.
Today, these bracelets can also serve as medical alerts that are highly functional in cases of emergency. Emergency responders are trained to look for Medical Alert jewelry. Consequently, Medical ID bracelets speak for you if you become unable to alert professionals to diabetes, drug allergies, seizures, heart disease, blood disorders, etc.
Charm Bracelets
Charm bracelets are link bracelets with ornaments dangling from them called charms. While these charms are beautiful, they usually have a sentimental or commemorative aspect about them as well.
Certainly, much of the time the charms relate to places you have visited. also special moments or people in your life. Some charm bracelets are for one subject, either a group you belong to or something you collect like horses or toasters.
Also, the Family charm bracelet is a favorite, with figural heads, hearts, or discs representing the wearer’s children with their birth dates engraved and their coinciding birthstones. Likewise, you might also add a Tree of Life charm and a charm commemorating your wedding or another significant family event. Another nice version simply uses a bezel set birthstone for each child and grandchild.
Bangle Bracelets
Bangle BraceletsA bangle bracelet makes a complete unbroken circle in the correct size, thereby slipping over the hand onto the wrist. Bangle bracelets are one of the oldest and most popular styles of bracelets. Therefore, there are countless variations.
These bracelets may be either solid metals or hollow, resulting in a lighter, less expensive bracelet. Hollow bracelets are not bad, just be careful. Don’t get one that’s too thin, the consequences could be that it will dent, crimp, and crush easily.
There are flat, round, half-round, and stackable bangles and can also have widely varying thicknesses and widths.
Flat bangles have a completely flat top that can, therefore, sometimes be engraved. Round bangles are like a round tube of metal encircling your wrist. Half-round bangles are round on top but flattened on the side against your skin. Hinged bangles allow you to open the bracelet to get it on and off and sometimes have a closure or clasp.
While some people like to wear a single bangle, in contrast, they look great stacking them on the arm giving a dramatic or bohemian look. Also, at Copeland Jewelers we can add a safety chain to your more expensive hinged bracelets to help reduce your risk of losing your favorite bangle.
While some bangles are set with stones all the way around, others go only partway around. And remember, fewer stones can greatly reduce the price. At Copeland Jewelers we will guide you through the pros and cons and different prices based on how many stones you want to use for your bracelet.
Cuff Bracelets
Cuff bracelets like the bangles are the original bracelets, dating back to ancient times. Cuffs are like bangles but are open at one side. These bracelets have enough opening to get your wrist through yet not enough to fall off your arm.
Similarly, cuff bracelets can be narrow or wide and it can be one band or multiple bands soldered together to make a complete cuff. A wider cuff will mean higher prices because you will need more metal to make a wider bracelet. Rather than solid cuffs, you can opt for more open designs that will cut down on the metal weight and therefore the costs.
Hinged mechanisms were designed to make bracelets easier to get on and off. For that reason, it’s more likely that you will see more bangles than cuff bracelets that are hinged. However, you will sometimes find a cuff bracelet that’s hinged on one side to get it off and on easily. Hinges also add comfort and versatility to your bracelet.
Stretch Style Bracelets
Flexible or stretch style bracelets stretch over your hand and have no closure or clasp. You’ve probably seen the fun costume style stretch bracelets that are strung on elastic cord.
Even more fun, now they are becoming very popular in fine jewelry due to the advancements of titanium springs. Unlike the elastic cord used in costume jewelry, these bracelets use titanium springs beneath the gold links. And titanium rarely breaks!
These bracelets are incredibly comfortable and make beautiful new options available in precious metals.
Toggle Bracelets
Toggle bracelets are named for their toggle closure, a circle on one end of a link bracelet, and a stick on the other end. The stick is longer than the circle is wide so when it’s fed through the circle the weight and tension of the link bracelet keep it closed.
The toggle closure has been around for a long time and is actually quite ancient.
Symbol Bracelets
Bracelets symbolizing support for a cause or a fight for justice date back many years. POW/MIA bracelets of the Vietnam war are one of the early causes brought to attention by bracelet wearing.
The inspiration for which came from a bracelet worn by TV personality and Congressman, Bob Dorman. Inspiring because it was given to him by Vietnamese hill tribesmen to remind him of the suffering the war had brought to so many.
From this, two students looking for positive ways to support soldiers began a huge movement of awareness. While the two women began the project with just 1200 bracelets from donated brass and copper the movement grew exponentially. Soon they were receiving over 12,000 requests per day to purchase bracelets to help fund programs.
Each metal cuff bracelet is engraved with a soldier’s name, rank, and date of loss of a Prisoner of War or soldier Missing in Action. Furthermore, almost 50 years later, some people still wear their bracelets today, committing to Americans still unaccounted for in the Vietnam War.
The Oldest Bracelet Ever Found
The oldest bracelet ever found? Astonishingly, the oldest bracelet unearthed was in a cave in Siberia in 2008 and it’s 40,000 years old! Engineered of beautiful glowing chlorite, experts believe the bracelet was likely adorned with other jewels. Evidently, the bracelet is stunning and reflects sun rays in the bright sun and at night by the fire, it casts a deep shade of green.
Even more incredible, they also found the bones of a wooly mammoth and the amazingly well-preserved pinkie finger of a little girl. After extensive DNA testing, she turned out not to be a human. Her DNA has proven to be of a previously unknown hominid species, Homo altaiensis.
Researchers named them The Denisovans and this bracelet implies that they were much more advanced than originally suspected. Their advanced engineering techniques with tools like drills and rasps suggest they were more advanced than Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.
This bracelet would have required skills and tools not previously considered characteristic of the Paleolithic era. Whomever this ancient artisan was, male or female, they would have been a highly skilled craftsman and engineer. Evidence reveals the use of a drilling implement and a boring tool type rasp.
And finally, signs of polishing with different leather and skins like a modern-day jeweler would use Emory paper to polish with today.
Contact us for help with choosing a bracelet!
