I Love Apparel: Bangle

Bangles (Hindi: Kangan) (Tamil: Valayal) (Telugu: Gaaju) or Chudi are ornaments worn mainly by women. Indian women, especially Hindus, wear them after their marriage signifying the matrimony.

Some men wear a single bangle on their arms or wrists called as kada. In Sikhism, The father of a Sikh bride will give the groom a gold ring, a kada (steel or iron bangle), and a mohra.

They are circular in shape, and, unlike bracelets, are not flexible. The word is derived from Hindi bungri (glass).

Bangles are part of traditional Indian jewelry. In India, bangles are usually worn in pairs, one or more on each arm, and a single bangle is rarely sold. They are made of numerous precious as well as non-precious materials such as gold, silver, platinum, glass, wood, ferrous metals, plastic, etc. Most Indian women prefer wearing either gold or glass bangles or both in combination. Bangles made from plastic are slowly replacing those made by glass, but the ones made of glass are still preferred at traditional functions such as marriages and at festivals.

Gold bangles are most popular with Indian women. They range from plain and simple to extremely artistic and intricate. They are often studded with precious and semi-precious stones such as diamonds, gems and pearls.

Sets of more expensive bangles that are made from higher quality contents of gold and silver make a substantial jingling sound. In the case of cheap, imitation jewelry, these tend to make a tinny sound (in contrast with a more substantial sound) when jingled.

Normally, a bangle as worn by people around the world is simply an inflexible piece of jewelry worn around the wrist. However, in many cultures, especially in the Arabian Peninsula and in South Asia, bangles have evolved into various types in which different ones are used at different occasions.

Glass bangles are mostly produced in only one Indian city called Firozabad in North India.

In India, Hyderabad has a historic market for bangles named the Laad Bazaar.

In Pakistan, glass bangles are almost all produced in Hyderabad, Pakistan

History
Bangles—made from shell, copper, bronze, gold, agate, chalcedony etc.—have been excavated from multiple archaeological sites throughout India.[2] A figurine of a dancing girl—wearing bangles on her left arm— has been excavated from Mohenjo-daro (2600 BC).[3] Other early examples of bangles in India include copper samples from the excavations at Mahurjhari—soon followed by the decorated bangles belonging to the Mauryan empire (322–185 BCE), and the gold bangle samples from the historic site of Taxila (6th century BCE).[2] Decorated shell bangles have also been excavated from multiple Mauryan sites.[2] Other features included copper rivets and gold-leaf inlay in some cases.[2]

Types of bangle
There are various types of bangles available on the market. Primary distinguishing factor for these is the material that is used to make the bangles. This may vary anything from glass to metal to lac and even rubber or plastic. Traditionally bangles were made of various types of metals like gold, silver, bronze etc. Bangles made from gold are considered the most expensive ones.

Another factor that adds to the price of the bangles is the artifacts or the work done further on the metal. This includes embroidery or small glass pieces or paintings or even small hangings that are attached to the bangles. The rareness of a color and its unique value also increase the value. Bangles made from lac are one of the oldest ones and among the brittle category too. Lac is clay like material which in molded in hot kilns-like places to make these bangles. Among the recent entrants are the rubber bangles that are worn more like a wrist band by youngsters while the plastic ones are there to add the trendy look.

NOTE:

I Love Apparel

2008年11月6日星期四

Bangle

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