Anklets

An anklet, ankle chain, or ankle bracelet is an ornament worn around the ankle. Barefoot anklets and toe rings historically have been worn for centuries by married women in India, though in the United States both casual and more formal anklets became fashionable in the late twentieth century. While in western popular culture both younger men and women may wear casual leather anklets, they are popular among barefoot women. Formal anklets (silver, gold, beads) are common women's fashion jewelry. In India anklets are the most common sort of jewelry worn by most middle-class and lower-sections of Indian society. Anklets are an important jewelery in Indian marriages worn along with saris.

Much more rarely, the ankle chains are joined by a stretch of chain to limit the step. This practice was once more prevalent in the Middle East, where the effect was to give a 'feminine' short tripping step. Today a few western women follow this practice, but rarely in public. A very few people even have 'permanent', e.g. soldered-on, ankle chains, and more rarely still, so is the connecting chain. Bronze anklets are visible as early as the Bronze Age in temperate Europe, in an area roughly along the Danube, in the Alpine foreland, up the Rhine to the Atlantic, and also down the Rhône (Sherratt, 2001). These were found among hoards in these areas, along with other bronze items characteristic of this time (c. 1800 BCE onwards), and are attributable to the Tumulus culture that spread across this region.

Anklets can be made of silver, gold, and other less precious metals as well as leather, plastic, nylon and other such materials. In the western world anklets or ankle chains are mainly worn by younger females, but some older women also wear them. Metal anklets are of two types - flexible and inflexible. The flexible ones, often called pajeb or jhanjhar in India, are made by tying links in a chain. Subsequently, sonorous bells can be attached to the chain, so that the wearer can make pleasing sounds while walking. Inflexible ones are usually created by giving shape to a flat metal sheet.

In India, anklets are worn on both feet. However, outside India most anklets seem to be worn on the right ankle. Perhaps this is due to more people being right-handed. Although in eastern cultures, anklets are worn on both ankles. A toe ring is a ring made out of various metals and non-metals worn on any of the toes. Toe rings are worn by women but is becoming more popular with men. The second toe of either foot is where they are worn most commonly. In most western countries they are a relatively new fashion accessory. There is no a symbolic meaning for wearing toe rings. They are only regarded to be a new fashion jewerly; they often accompany barefoot sandals, anklets, barefeet or flip flops.