Stones and glass were often used in Roman bracelets. . Gem stones were commonly found set in eyes. Open bands were cut to represent a row of ivy and entwined with pearls. Many of the leaf and berry bracelets were heavily adorned with decorative glass. The wealthier women could be seen wearing bracelets layered in bezel set emeralds.

During the Gerogiian times bracelets remained popular. Paris jewelers were known for their gold bracelets set with pearl edging. After the 1820s coral became the “in” fashion statement, so bracelets and other jewelry were heavily set with coral.

During the Gerogiian time it was very fashionable to wear many bracelets at once, including wide ribbon gold mesh bracelets, and silk ribbon bracelets. Gem and Diamond bracelets were designed in geometric patterns. Gold was heavily used during this era.

The Victorian era brought changes to the fashions of women, including jewelry styles. Earrings grew long and dangled, bracelets became rigid and were normally worn in pairs. The buckle bracelet became very fashionable.

The jewelry of the Victorian era expressed sentiment, and bracelets were no exception. Bracelets would contain lockets or charms with pictures or hair of a loved one, and engravings were common

Early Victorian jewelry enjoyed some mystic with hidden meanings being popular. The acrostic bracelets where the first letter of each gemstone spelled a word of friendship were very popular. For example a bracelet set with Lapis, Opal, Vermeil [hessonite garnet] and Emerald would spell Love.

The Art Nouveau period once again saw changes to fashion and jewelry. Chameleons and serpents entwined themselves around bracelets. The mystical Egyptian scarab was found on bracelets and rings. Other popular creatures included dragonflies, butterflies, bees, peacocks, swans, and even bats. This was a very figural period attached to nature.
If jewelry did not depict creatures it depicted flower blossoms or flower buds.

From 1910 to 1939 women’s fashions saw sleeveless or short sleeve dresses appear. The result was flexible bracelets and bangles worn on the upper arm. These arm bracelets were often adorned with gemstones or diamonds.
From 1940 to 1949 US designers were greatly influenced by the designs from the French house of Van Cleef & Arpels. Bracelets with ribbon of hexagon lines centered on fine gemstones fastened with heavy clasps became very vogue.

From 1950 to 1960 daytime saw simpler lines for not only gold bracelets but necklaces as well. Gold mesh or twisted wire bracelets were very popular.

From 1960 to 1970 bracelets became more flexible and were often set with gems. Bangles on the other hand became more rigid and were often seen set with random diamond placements.

From 1970 to 1979 bracelets were flexible and often set with tiny baguettes. Delicate and dainty bracelets were vogue.

From the 1980s to now bracelet fashions have been mixed and varied. Bracelet styles have become more of an individual fashion statement than a trend. Gold has always remained popular as have gems, however sterling silver has become very popular and recognized for its versatility and wear ability at affordable pricing. In the last few years we’ve also seen an increase in demand for titanium bracelets.
Today a women’s fashion statement is about her! What she likes, what she feels good in. So your bracelet wardrobe can be what ever you want. Wear a dainty gem set gold bracelet or an armful of clunky bracelets, which is very vogue this season.

Your fashion statement is about who you are, so feel free to be you!

It was more than 2800 years ago that the first diamonds were mined in India. In actuality, diamonds are much older than one would think. Most diamonds we find today are at least 900 million years old. Experts believe that the oldest known diamond is around 3.2 billion years old. Each mined diamond is completely unique. To the trained eye, one can find that there are no two diamonds that are precisely the same.

When learning how to purchase a diamond, there are many things to consider. Until you know more and have done your research, you should never rush into buying a diamond. It’s especially important to learn how diamonds are priced.

The “4 C’s”

You will have many factors to consider when buying a diamond. Throughout the world, there is an established method that jewelers use as a way of describing the value of a diamond. The method is known as the “4 C’s”. If you are interested in understanding how to buy a diamond, it would help to know exactly what the 4 C’s are and how each aspect of the diamond contributes to its value.

The 4 C’s represent Cut, Clarity, Carats and Color

Buying a Diamond based on Cut: The cut of a diamond is a description of how the diamond maker angles the gemstone in such a way as to best reflect light through the diamond, resulting in the diamond’s sparkle. A high quality cut enhances the innate beauty of a diamond and increases its value. A poorly cut diamond isn’t as brilliant or shiny and, therefore, will be less valuable.

How to Buy a Diamond based on Clarity: The clarity of a diamond involves looking at how clear the diamond is when you look through it. Most diamonds have inclusions and flaws and it is rare to find a perfect diamond. Flaws, however, cannot usually be seen without magnification. When purchasing a diamond for clarity, look for the presence of dark spots inside the diamond.

How to Buy a Diamond based on Carats: Carat defines the size of the diamond. Larger diamonds (those of a higher carat) will cost more than a cluster of smaller diamonds, even if the total carats of the diamond cluster are the same. This means that a single one-carat diamond will cost you more than three diamonds set in a ring that add up to one carat. The reason behind this is that larger diamonds are rarer than smaller diamonds. Unfortunately, this is impacted by the fact that, when diamonds are cut, they lose about half their size.

How to Buy a Diamond based on Color: The color of diamond you choose is entirely based upon your personal preference. Diamonds that are colorless, however, are the rarest and therefore cost more than other diamonds. Colorless diamonds are known as white diamonds. Diamonds also come in a variety of different hues, including yellow, green, blue and pink. There are even diamonds known as “black diamonds”.

Certificates and Appraisals

While understanding the 4 C’s in determining how to buy a diamond, you should also learn how to read diamond certificates. These certificates describe in detail the facts about the diamond in its unmounted state. Perhaps you have a specific diamond you want to have professionally appraised by an independent organization. This is probably not best done by the jeweler you are buying the diamond from because they are often biased and may appraise the diamond at a slightly higher value than what it’s actually worth in order to receive more income from the sale of the diamond.

Think of it this way—all coffeemakers are made of plastic, steel, and glass, the differences are how these materials are designed and implemented.  Higher quality coffeemakers make a better tasting cup of coffee.  Higher quality manufactured diamonds are in line with mined diamonds.
QUALITY VARIANCES:  It seems like grade variations are made out to be a more complex lab-created diamond issue then it really is.  Once boiled down, there are three primary grades of simulated diamonds—high, medium, and low.  For the jewelry shopper it should be noted that the quality of setting goes hand-in-hand with the quality of the gemstone.  Those that sell manufactured diamond jewelry off point-of-purchase displays in the costume jewelry sections of discount stores use low quality or scrap stones that are not gem quality, and have disco ball or murky look.

Those that sell manufactured diamond jewelry on the TV shopping channels—which is generally with a sterling silver or a micro-thin layer of gold plated over silver (Vermeil [pronounced ver-may]) settings—use medium quality stones not of gem quality.  Those that sell solid 14K gold or solid platinum settings, as a rule, use the highest gem-quality man made gemstones that replicate mined diamonds.
PRICING:  Low grade stones are sold in bulk to costume jewelry makers and are often glued on electroplated settings.  This jewelry is fine for children, where loss risk is high, and usually retails for less than $15 per item.  You will find medium grade stones primarily in sterling silver jewelry that sells for under $100 per item, settings and stones.  Medium grade simulated diamonds can be distinguished by the naked eye as not being mined diamonds.  High grade gemstone quality lab-created diamonds, undistinguishable by the naked eye from mined diamonds, are found mounted on settings of solid 14K gold and platinum.  This is considered to be fine jewelry, with the best quality gemstones selling for under $100 per carat for the gemstones alone.  Manufactured diamonds that sell for over $100 a carat are not higher quality than those that sell for between $80 and $100 per carat.

RECOMMENDATIONS:  If you are buying for someone that is likely to lose the jewelry, there is no reason to spend any more than you have to, and Wal-Mart will do just fine.  On the clearance rack you can even pick up some jewelry for less than $5 per item.  If you buy simulated diamonds set in sterling silver, expect decent stones, but they will fool few into thinking they are mined diamonds.  Also, your fingers are likely to turn green or black in response to a chemical reaction, not with the silver per se, but with the nickel/copper alloys in sterling silver.  With any plated settings, gemstones are low to medium grade, and the plating will eventually chip off, particularly around the edges.  When that happens, the nickel/copper alloys will be exposed, the setting will look like it came out of a gum ball machine, and your finger will generally turn green or black.  It is just a matter of common sense, if you want simulated diamonds with mined-diamond qualities, they must be set in 14K solid gold.  Jewelers who offer lab-created diamonds are not going spend on money on gold and not mount the highest quality stones, which would defeat the purpose of creating fine diamond-like jewelry and alienate customers.

However ! men’s jewelry items do not have the wide range of selection as compared to women’s, But it is obvious that bracelets is very much supported by a large number of men nowadays ! such bracelets come in white and yellow gold  which makes them great for just about any occasion you can think of 14k mens gold bracelets make a perfect gift whether it is a birthday, marriage anniversary or other occasion.

Gold bracelets comes in an almost infinite number of designs and types but you always have to know that buying gold bracelets or any golden jewelry can be fun as you give the gift of precious metals or give yourself a wonderful gift; a gift that lasts a lifetime! A high quality item is always a great gift to receive.

Often decorated with figures of snakes or sphinxes, bracelets remained popular until the fall of the Roman Empire, when the long sleeves worn in the middle ages sent them into obscurity. Bracelets didn’t become fashionable again until the 1800s.

Popular Bracelets Styles

As you learned in the section on chains, a length of chain in any number of attractive styles can be worn around the wrist as a bracelet. But there is a wealth of other bracelets styles to choose from - some set with gems, some showing off the beauty of precious metal. Some bracelets, like the chain bracelet, are flexible. Some are rigid.

Today, most people wear bracelets on their wrists, although arm bracelets and ankle bracelets are available. Both men and women wear chain bracelets, though many bracelets styles are for women only. Now titanium bracelets are becoming extremely popular for men to wear because of their masculine look and appeal. Stainless steel bracelets are now in fashion as well.

The diamond tennis bracelets are one of today’s most popular bracelet styles. It’s a variation on a classic bracelet style, the straight-line bracelet. Simply described, it’s a flexible band of faceted, usually round diamonds of matching size set in a line that encircles the wrist. The diamonds can be set in gold or platinum.

It got its new name after a famous tennis player, Chris Evert, attracted public attention to it. Evert’s diamond straight-line bracelet slipped off during a televised tennis match. She stopped the match to retrieve it, calling it her “tennis bracelet” and the new became part of jewel history.

Cuffs and bangle bracelets are examples of rigid bracelets. Cuffs are wide or narrow C-shaped bands that fit over the wrist or arm. Popular with the ancients, today they are often brightly polished, plain metal bands. But cuffs can also be of openwork of filigree. They can also be gem-set or otherwise decorated. Designer Elsa Peretti is known for her “bone cuff” design - a fluidly shaped cuff bracelet of precious metal shaped to fit the contours of the wrists.

A bangle bracelet can be circular or oval. Sometimes, however, the outside of the bangle is an angular shape like a square. Most bangles are made of precious metal, but can be fashioned from jadeite, nephrite, or a combination of materials. Bangles either slip on over the hand or open and close by means of hinge and clasp mechanisms. Hinged bangles usually feature short safety chains, in case their clasps open accidently. Bangles, Like cuffs, can be ornate or plain, gem-set or without gems. Sometimes women wear several bangles “stacked” together.

This article is brought to you by Coppari Jewelry

Kevin Jardim has been a Product Manager at Coppary Jewelry for over 5 years and has been in the jewelry business for over 15 years. He is currently an Accredited Jewelry Professional earning his certificate form the Gemological Institute of America. He is also affiliated with Jewelers of America, the largest and most respected jewelry retailer association in the U.S.

Article Source: EzineArticles