What's the difference between a bangle and a bracelet?

Have you ever wondered: what’s the difference between a bangle and a bracelet?

Lots of people wonder the same thing. This question probably comes from the fact that bangles are similar to bracelets, but they are not generally called a bracelet, so if they aren’t a bracelet, then what are they, exactly?

Well, let’s get to the bottom of this jewelry mystery and give you some answers.

What is a Bangle?

The beautiful bangle has deep roots in Southeast Asia, where they have been a jewelry adornment since 2600 BC. Yes, that is a very long time. Modern bangles are worn by millions of women and men throughout the world. So, it goes without saying that this style of jewelry continues to be extremely popular.

Bangles are distinctive for their solid metal design and structure. To create a bangle a skilled jewelry artisan must know how to heat, bend and shape a thin or thick piece of metal into a near-perfect circle or oval shape. Worn around the wrist, bangles are known for being easy to slip on and off the wrist. They also vary in design, width and closure style. Some bangles have no closure whatsoever, while others features a latch closure or hinge closure. And some bangles are partially open in back to allow the user to adjust the fit.

While there are many ways a creative artisan can make a bangle look, the one thing they all have in common is a hard metal structure.

Bangle Style Options

Shopping for bangles is a fun experience because there are so many great designs. A bangle can have a smooth, shiny surface or consist of two pieces of metal twisted together and curved into a half-circle. Or it can be a minimalistic style made from brass or silver.

Bangles can feature intricate engravings or be encrusted with gleaming crystals. Many women (and some men) love wearing three or more bangles together, which is always fun and fashionable.

What is a Bracelet?

Wearing bracelets is a practice that goes all the way back to Ancient Egypt and they’ve been a favorite arm adornment ever since. The most distinctive thing that identifies a bracelet is its flexibility. Instead of hard metal throughout, the bracelet is made up of interconnected chain links that freely move when the wrist moves. As most jewelry wearers know, bracelet links can be small and intricate or larger in size. Because chain links can be removed, bracelets are often easier to fit to size than a hard, inflexible bangle.

Also, unlike most bangles, the chain link bracelet requires closure hardware to make it stay on the wrist.

Bracelet Style Options

There are numerous flexible bracelet designs and that’s good news for those who love collecting and wearing them. Creativity is abundant when it come to crafting fashionable bracelets. Sure, there are some tried and true styles that are timeless, but jewelry artisans are always coming up with new design concepts. This makes it easy to find bracelets that match your personal sense of style.

Current trends can also play a role in what bracelet styles are most popular. For instance, pearls are among today’s most popular jewelry trends and this pretty Moon Daisy bracelet shows how to use pearls to create a fun, unique look. Chunky bracelets with large links are another trend that is capturing lots of attention.

Now that you know the difference between bangles and bracelets, you can have all kinds of fun collecting both styles.