The humble bangle has a very long history; historians have uncovered artifacts that prove that Ancient Egyptians used these ornaments five thousand years before Christ. Most of them were made of gold; the precious metal is still used to make modern armlets. Because these are expensive, alternative materials are used to make affordable bracelets.
Armlets can be made from a large number of metals. Jewelers have to make the final decision on which materials to use. In doing this, they have to consider what price the bangles will be sold at, what they would be used for, who they are meant for among other factors. Consumers should take time to learn about what they will be buying, or they may end up paying too much for these ornaments.
As pointed out in the previous section, gold still remains a highly popular material for making armlets. This is due to several attributes of this precious metal. Among the most important is the fact that it does not rust, is hypoallergenic, and maintains its attractive looks for a long time. It cannot be used in its pure state, as it is too soft to withstand abuse. To strengthen it, gold has to be mixed with other metals.
A carat is a measure of gold’s purity; the more its proportion in a sample, the higher this measure would be. Mixing the precious material with other metals also makes it cheaper, and can be used to change certain attributes, such as color. Armlets made with alloyed gold have one drawback; they need to be polished more often, as they tend to lose their lustre very quickly.
Apart from alloyed gold, another option for low cost and high quality bangles is stainless steel. Most people will be taken aback at this, as they do not associate this metal with jewelry. Craftsmen love its muted lustre, hardness, and ability to resist corrosion. They generally avoid steel made with nickel, as some people are allergic to it.
Brass is also popular with makers of theme bracelets. Some of the attributes that make it suited for bangle making include its gold like color, its relative hardness, workability and relatively low cost. Ornaments made from this material are used to accessorize African and other forms of ethnic wear. Brass is actually an alloy of zinc and copper; the latter gives it the ability to kill germs.
Plastics remain the number one material for making affordable bracelets. They are popular because they come in a wide range of designs and colors. They are also relatively hard. They do not cause unwanted reactions with the human skin.
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