Indian Woman's Bangle Bracelets: "Chudi"

Bangles have been widely used in India since ancient times. Archeologists have excavated protohistoric ancestors of the bangle from the remains of Indus Valley Civilization; dating back to 2500-1750 BC. These ancient bangles are of gold, silver, copper, stone, shell and fired ceramic. In the earliest strata ceramic bangles are most common. Bangles are part of traditional Indian jewelry. They are usually worn in pairs by women, one or more on each arm. Most Indian women prefer wearing either gold or glass bangles or combination of both. Inexpensive Bangles made from plastic are slowly replacing those made by glass, but the ones made of glass are still preferred at traditional occasions such as marriages and on festivals. The bride will try to wear as many small glass bangles as possible at her wedding; honeymoon will end when the last bangle breaks. Lac bangles are made from a natural resin of animal origin. Lac is produced by a unique scale insect indigenous to Indian forests. About 5 million people, mainly local aboriginal tribals, are involved in all phases of the huge lac industry in India. With the invention of synthetic resins and plastics, Lac Bangles have given way to synthetic resin bangles and plastic bangles.
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Source: http://www.raunharman.com/bangles.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangle