The Egyptian ankh is a recognizable sign seen as ankh charms, on ornamental objects, on clothing and scores of other places in today’s world. It looks a little like the cross of the Christians with a loop over the transverse bar. It’s origins are still vague but it’s meaning is apparent. It is the Egyptian character for ‘eternal life’ and is seen in ornamental designs and on household objects left in their burial places, which were either fashioned in the shape of an ankh or decorated with this symbol.

The Origins of the Ankh

There are various speculations with regard to the ankh’s origins from the idea that it was a tie used on ceremonial or religious clothes, a sexual symbol or the strap of a sandal. The most popular theory is that it represents a complex knot with the lower portion depicting the tails of the bow, as it is often made in two sections. The ankh is seen in statues of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses and unmistakably symbolises life in these depictions. It is frequently seen being offered to a king as a symbolic ‘breath of life’ and ankhs were often painted as flowing in chains from libation vessels symbolising the ankh’s life giving ability. Jugs used as water containers in religious ceremonies were frequently made in the shape of an ankh.

A Symbol of Life

As a representation of life it was also used as a representation of fertility, life in future generations. An additional name used for the ankh is the Key of the Nile as it represents the joining together of Isis and Osiris, which was thought to initiate the yearly Nile flooding, so essential to the Ancient Egyptians. Many Egyptian gods and goddesses were depicted carrying an ankh, frequently in two hands crossed over the upper body as seen in a sculpture of Osiris or a sceptre and ankh in each hand as Anibus, Hathor,Isis,Tefnut and several more are often shown. The symbol also represents life in the afterworld and the dead are called ankhu and neb-ankh is the name for a sarcophagus.

Mirrors and many other household objects, were frequently made in the form of an ankh in fact it was also the word for mirror. A mirror casing was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun and musical instruments such as sistrums and even spoons have also been found in this shape.

How We Use the Ankh in Today’s World

Nowadays the ankh is extensively used as a decorative devise, it’s use ranging from pop culture in America to a representation showing spiritual values. In the 1970’s it was a prevalent sign used by the hippies as an affirmation of life and scorn for the materialism of the times. It is connected in Gothic subculture with vampires and is a present in numerous films about vampires.

Whether you use an ankh for only it’s decorative affect or for a deep, more spiritual significance it is an established and prized emblem that can be found in beautiful gold and silver charm jewelry, as bracelets, earrings, pendants and Egyptian ankh charms.

Caduceus charms are a fashionable gift for graduating physicians, nurses and veterinary students but are you aware of how this emblem came to be used by medical workers? The Rod of Asclepius is a much more suitable logo for medical personnel and organisations, so why is the caduceus used even though, unlike the Rod, it has no medical meaning? In reality, quite the contrary as the emblem is associated with Hermes, god of the market place and travel and of the craftiness of liars, and who is in general linked to waywardness and deception. He was also the guide of souls to the underworld, so the use of his symbol for medicine is particularly unfortunate.

The Rod of Asclepius

The more correct logo is the Rod of Asclepius which is a rod intertwined by a snake. Asclepius is the god of medicine in the Greek myths and his daughters were Hygieia, Aglea, Aceso, Laso, Meditrina, and Panacea who symbolize cleanliness, healing and medicine. Panacea means literally ‘all healing’ and is a recognizable word in present day English. Asclepius was the son of Apollo and Coronis and was looked after by centaur called Chiron, when his mother was executed for betrayal. It was Chiron who taught Asclepius medicine.

In Ancient Greece, around 300 BC the cult of Asclepius was prevalent and his healing temples were called Asclepieia. Snakes were frequently used in the healing rituals and non venomous serpents crawled freely around the temples. In the beginning the Oath of Hippocrates started with the words ‘I swear by Apollo the Physician and by Asclepius and by Hygieia and Panacea and by all the gods …”

The Caduceus

The caduceus is typically seen as a messenger’s staff with a pair of intertwined serpents and often has wings. Originally the rod was borne by Iris who was the envoy of Hera. Only in later myths was it borne by Hermes. It may perhaps be the source of the astrological representation for Mercury, who was the Roman counterpart of the Greek Hermes. It is frequently used as a representation for medicine especially in North America. Why is there misunderstanding between the Rod of Asclepius, a suitable sign for medicine and the caduceus which is unsuitable, connected as it is with Hermes, patron of thieves and tricksters and escort of the departed to the afterlife?

History of The Use of the Caduceus by Medical Workers

It appears that it was used incorrectly as a substitute for the Rod of Asclepius in the 19th century. It was first used as a medical image in the 1850’s in the US on uniforms of military hospital staff and was worn by medical officers from about 1902. The Surgeon General saw the error a few years after this but didn’t replace it. It was used by the Navy Hospital Corps and the Army Medical Dept following the 1st World War. Though the AMA used it for a few years, it was replaced by the proper symbol for medicine, the Rod of Asclepius, in 1912.

The Use of the Caduceus in Jewelry Today

These days caduceus jewelry is trendy, particularly among nurses. Caduceus charms for bracelets are particularly admired and can be purchased in silver, gold or encrusted with diamonds. A medical caduceus is a popular present for graduating students whether nurses, physicians or veterinary students.

The eye-in-hand or hand symbol was used in the ancient world as a charm for protection from bad luck and evil. The five fingers of the hand are thought to symbolise the ability to poke someone with evil intentions in the eye, thus blinding them! The hand symbol is used as a decorative motif in art works, plaques and jewelry and is seen in Arabic and Jewish cultures, where it is called a Hamsa (or Khamsa) today.

Origins of the Hamsa Hand Symbol

It is thought that the symbol was used by the Phoenicians in the Ancient world and it may have represented their goddess Tanit who was a patron of the city of Carthage. Other historians believe that it was used as a symbol of a Hindu god or goddess.

The Hamsa in Religions Today

The Hamsa, which is also called the Hand of Miriam, is worn as a Jewish symbol for protection against evil. It may also be seen on wall murals and decorations.

The Islamic people also use the hand symbol in their decorative work and they call it the Hand of Fatima who was Mohammed’s daughter Fatima Zehra. Some people think the symbol represents the Five Pillars of Islam. It has been adopted by many young Arabic and Jewish people as a symbol of peace between them as it is represented in both their religions.

Hamsa Hand Designs

The Hamsa or eye-in-hand symbol has a variety of forms or representations. One design has a hand with four fingers and a thumb with an eye in the palm. There are also varieties with no thumb or a more stylised three fingered hand with two thumbs. The fingers may also be seen pointing up or down.

The Hand Symbol in Jewelry Designs

A wide range of jewelry uses the hand symbol including necklaces, keychains, charms for bracelets and pendants in gold, silver, glass and other precious and semi-precious materials and gem stones. You can see our range at Hamsa Hand Jewelry

Gold or silver charm bracelets make lovely gifts and can easily be personalised by adding charms that reflect the interests of the recipient. You can give a ballet shoes charm to a ballet loving teenager or a dolphin charm to an animal lover. A new mom can receive a charm bracelet with a baby carriage or you give an angel charm to a young girl. The possibilities are endless and there will always be a new charm you can buy to add to a loved ones collection!

Here are some more ideas for charm bracelets as gifts :

Wedding Gift to a Bride - a charm bracelet with a wedding ring charm is a great gift for a bride from her family, new mother in law or from a special friend.

For Teens – start you teenager off with a charm bracelet that can be added to at Xmas and birthdays. You can add charms that reflect their interests that change over the years adding a charm for graduation, on their marriage or birth of their first child.

Babies – a lovely gift for a new baby girl is a gold charm bracelet that can be added to as she grows. Put it in a safe place and add to it on special occasions to be given to her when she is old enough to appreciate it.

Bridesmaids – A lovely gift is a silver charm bracelet with a charm specially selected for the individual bridesmaid.

Best Friend Charms – there are many specially made ‘Best friend’ charms. swap them between friends or buy one for your best friends birthday or on a special occasion.

Graduation Gifts – a charm bracelet bearing a specially engraved charm to congratulate and wish luck in the future is an especially nice graduation gift.

Articles brought to you by Gold & Silver Charm Jewelry

For thousands of years people have been using charms as amulets to ward off evil, or luck and prosperity. The use of charms on bracelets seems to have been started by the ancient Egyptians who used them as symbols of their faith and to carry with them to the afterlife so that the gods could identify them and give them their appropriate status.

In Rome the early Christians wore a charm shaped as a fish to identify themselves to each other and in the Dark Ages they were used for religious and political identification and to indicate the family of the bearer. In the Middle Ages knights wore them to protect them in battle and the general populace also wore charms. During the Renaissance the use of charms faded, particularly by the wealthier classes, as people became better educated and less superstitious. However the less educated, poorer classes continued to wear them as protection against evil and to bring them good luck.

The wearing of charms and particularly charm bracelets was revived in the UK by Queen Victoria who wore a bracelet with lockets containing images of her family. This had a big impact on the wearing of charm bracelets by the general population who began to wear charms, not as amulets but as decorative items. Glass beads, family crests and lockets became the the fashion items of the day. After the end of World War 2 there was a huge explosion of charm wearing including soldiers bringing home trinkets and beads to their sweethearts from far flung places of the world. Craftsmen in the US picked up the trend and began to create charms and the wearing of charm bracelets has continued to flourish ever since.

Today a wide variety of charm bracelets, necklaces and earrings are available with bracelets being the most popular. Gold and silver are usually used although some people favor bracelets made from beads or pearls with precious metal charms. Bracelets vary in price from under $100 to many thousands of dollars so are available to suit everyones pocket. There are many kinds of religious charms depicting saints and a vast array depicting animals and objects including dolphins, rabbits, cupids, ballerina shoes etc. Some of the most popular are heart charms and angel charms.

Gold and silver charm bracelets have been worn since Ancient times and are as extremely popular in today’s world. They can be found from as little as $50 to $1000 and more. Whether you are looking for charm bracelet for yourself or as a gift you need to know your budget and what to look for in your price range. We’ve put together some information to help you decide what to expect for the price you can pay.

Price range $50 or less

In this range the charm bracelets you can buy will be mainly sterling silver without charms or possibly with one or two charms included. It is unlikely that you will find any gold charm bracelets for this price.

Price range up to $100

Sterling silver charm bracelets in this range are generally better quality, heavier and with up to four or five charms. There are 9K gold bracelets in this range and a few 14K gold bracelets can also be found.

Price range up to $200

There are many good quality sterling silver bracelets with a range of charms or gemstones in this price range. There are also 10K and 14K bracelets with multiple gemstone charms or one gold charm available. Another option is to buy a bead or cultured pearl bracelet with gold charms.

Price range $100 to $500

If you are looking for a reasonably good quality gold bracelet with gold charms you will find one in this range. There are many 14K heavier gold charm bracelets or gold link bracelets, some with charms with cultured pearls or small 0.1ct diamonds. You can also find exquisite 14K solid yellow or white gold bracelets.

Above $500

Heavy, well designed and unusual bracelets with many charms, cultured pearls or gemstones are available once you go above $500. For around $800 you could find a heavy, solid 14K highly detailed 12mm wide gold charm bracelet. For about $700 you can buy a 14K white gold classic double ring 8mm charm bracelet. You can expect to find many well designed, highly decorated charm bracelets in this price range.

Conclusion

There are many charm bracelets to purchase whatever your price range and whichever one you choose you can be sure of a fine piece of jewelry that you can add charms to over the years and produce a bracelet of great sentimental value.