Anklet Jewelry
Anklets are pieces of jewelry worn around the ankle. Women in the Middle East, especially in Egypt and Bedouin cultures have worn anklets through the ages, as have women in India. In the West, anklets are worn primarily as a form of adornment, which eventually became quite the fashion around the twentieth century. In India, anklets are part of the wedding jewelry a bride must wear on her wedding day.
A rare custom with anklets was practiced in the Middle East, where ankle chains were joined by a short chain in order to limit steps taken in order to create a more ‘feminine’ step. This is rarely practiced nowadays.
Anklets are made of gold, silver and even iron, while it is common to find anklets made of plastic, leather, nylon and a plethora of other interesting materials.
Interestingly, a survey carried out in the United Kingdom revealed that the right ankle was the ankle of choice for wearing anklets. The statistics were as follows: 87% wore anklets on their right ankle and 13% on their left ankle.
Metal anklets come in two variations – the flexible and the inflexible type. In India, the flexible anklets are referred to as ‘paayal’, ‘pajeb’ or ‘jhanjar’. In India, it is quite common to find anklets that have little bells attached to them, which make pleasant sounds while you walk.
Gold anklets cost around the same price as gold bracelets do – as they are around the same size. However, anklets are far stronger than bracelets, as they are kicked around a bit when walking. Therefore, if you are getting gemstones on your anklets, then you have to ensure that they are fit in quite snugly.
Anklets are best worn during spring and summer with a pair of shorts or a skirt that shows off your ankles. Wearing anklets with pants is of no use.