Discover the Most Popular Types of Hand Jewellery

By Ava Brown, May 19, 2021

Most women love decorative accessories and jewellery. They are a great finishing touch to a nice outfit, and they offer you a way to show your personality. That said, most of us have a lot of different trinkets, whether we’ve bought them ourselves, we got them as gifts, or we inherited them from our mothers or sisters. But out of the bunch, nothing can make you feel special like the jewellery pieces that you can actually look at without using a mirror – the jewellery meant to adorn your hand and your arm.

The History of Hand Jewellery

Rings have always been used as a way to adorn yourself, as well as a way to convey a message. In ancient times, in Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome wearing a ring was a privilege, as they were primarily used to announce titles or by people with higher social status. In time, by the 3rd century in Rome, rings became a more common way to adorn yourself, and almost anyone could wear them.

That’s also when people have begun to use rings as a symbol for a promise of marriage to a person of the opposite sex. And then, during the Middle Ages rings become important in religious circles. The church would give rings to bishops, popes, cardinals etc.

Bracelets and armlets as another type of hand jewellery also have a long, long history. Different types of bracelets ar armlets from millennia ago have been discovered all around the world. The earliest versions were made of grass, tree limbs, shells, and later on copper and bronze, and they were often worn for ritualistic purposes. They were often worn as protection or for good luck.

In time, similarly to rings, they became a way to show status, and most likely simply as accessories, and not for ritual jewellery or amulets. Gold bracelets were worn by the royalty in Ancient Egypt, India, China and Ancient Greece.

Rings

Rings bear many symbols even nowadays. Of course, some have meaningful shapes, others featured some symbol, but, as you know, rings can also convey a message according to the finger on which you wear them. This means that you might wear one to communicate some type of message, whether it’s an engagement, marriage, or other types of promises. Nevertheless, the most common use of rings today is the most obvious one: adorning oneself.

While some women have assembled a nice collection of beautiful rings jewellery stores sell, others have none. Regardless of the group in which you belong, you should definitely find at least one ring that you find stunning and buy it for yourself. Rings aren’t only important for the way you present yourself to the world, but also, they are a rare decorative accessory that you can actually look at, without using a mirror, unlike earrings or necklaces.

When you are choosing a ring for yourself, especially when it’s a more special one, a fancier one, or one that’s more expensive, there are several things to take into consideration. The first thing, of course, is your taste. While we often hear that all women love diamonds, the truth is that everyone has their own taste, and there are even some who would never wear one. Some women don’t like gold and others prefer it above any other material. Choose whatever represents you best, and conveys the message you are going for.

You should also consider the purpose of the ring. Are you buying one that you’ll always wear or one that will only beautify your hand on very special occasions? If you go for something more extravagant, or more elegant, you may later prefer to only wear it with certain types of outfits. However, for everyday use, you should always aim for something simpler that will go with most of your clothes.

Bracelets

Like rings jewellery, bracelets are pieces that you will be able to look at while wearing them. This is only one of the reasons why you should have a special one in your jewellery box. While there are people who wear some types of bands around their wrists every day, most frequently bracelets aren’t the type of jewellery you might wear at all times. Furthermore, unlike rings, when it comes to bracelets it may be more complicated, or even impossible, to find one piece that will go well with all or most of your clothes.

This is why it’s always better to have more than one. While most rings can go well with any outfit, as long as you don’t want to combine sportswear with luxurious rings, made of gold or with diamonds, or with some fashion rings, bracelets require more mixing and matching, because they should complement your outfit perfectly. However, they offer a great way to achieve interesting things with your outfits, make them more stylish and add even more personality to the way you dress.

Armlets

Similar to bracelets, armlets adorn your arm, but they go on your forearm or your upper arm. These beautiful jewellery pieces can look quite provocative and sexy, in a sophisticated and sometimes discreet way. They also come with a long history, but they have just resurfaced recently in the fashion world, and are becoming more and more popular. Women wear them on bare skin or even over the clothes, and while you may not be able to wear them with every outfit when you do, they can make you look and feel special.