Bracelets

The word "bracelet" derived from a blend of the Latin “bracchium,” or “arm,” and was first applied to jewelry that wrapped the wrist in the Middle Ages. The bracelet appeared, however, well before this time. Indeed, some of the earliest recorded wrist cuffs and bands date to over 9,000 years ago and derive from the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean.

Since then, bracelets have developed into true works of art, channeling a bit of their cultural context into their designs. From Art Deco bracelets, which tapped into the clean geometry of turn-of-the-20th-century design, to tennis bracelets conjured from the career of famed tennis star Chris Evert, the heritage of the bracelet is both vast and valuable.