There are specific types of jewelry that have historical significance in addition to reflecting your own personal history. For example, a charm bracelet, with your lifetime collection of charms, can reveal a lot about you. Another type, dating from Victorian times, is the slider bracelet.
During the 19th century, women in England wore them as a fashion accessory. Since wristwatches were not created at the time, they wore heavy watches, often referred to as heavy hunting case watches, on a necklace. They added decorative “slides” to their chains that went under the watch and allowed them to shorten or lengthen the necklace by moving the slides up or down as well. In addition, the sliders prevented the watch from twisting and turning on the chain.
Women used to collect a variety of slides to match what they wore. Many of the slides were fashioned from engraved vintage watch fobs; others were set with precious stones and were highly ornate. Other unique slides that were collected included pinheads that would mount to plain slides. Lucky for these ladies if there were plenty of men in their family to give them their pins!
During the 1930s, after the Victorian period, the clock slider became a very popular family heirloom. The 6-9 slides that used to be interchanged in a necklace were now used to create a functional piece of jewelry; First of all as a watch, but also as a fashion bracelet. I’m sure most ladies never forget to put on their watches, especially such exquisite pieces of art. Very successful businessmen reflected their opulence with the amount of jewelry their wives wore and some ladies also wore bracelets on one arm and a watch on the other.
A slider bracelet is made up of a double chain or cable bracelet on which a slider bracelet is placed. The sliders have four pre-drilled holes (two on each end) so that the chain or cable can slide through. Many vintage slides had a small piece of cork placed inside to hold it in place on the chain. Today, they are held in place with bead-like spacers that are placed between each slide.
While the traditional sliding chain bracelet is still a classic today, cable bracelets have also become very popular. I personally refer to them as DIY slider bracelets because you don’t need a jeweler to assemble or put them together for you. The cable holders are made up of two flexible twisted wire cable supports. While it’s easy to add, rearrange, or remove slides due to the detachable clasp, they also come with a downside; the end of the cables can fray with frequent wear, requiring repair or replacement.
The classic sliding chain bracelet has a loyal following today and is just as popular. The name is used interchangeably and is often referred to as slider charms or slider charms. You may have inherited one or been given one as a gift; Or maybe you have only one slide and are just starting to collect them. The crafting and detail of the slides are impressive. They are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and gemstones. You can find them at local vintage/antique stores, during your trips abroad, antique shows, auctions, estate sales, and of course online. You can also have some custom made using any rare or unused pieces of jewelry you may have in your jewelry box. As an example, you may have a unique pair of ½ odd pair earrings that can now be incorporated and made into a slide.
Some collectors buy slides at random, meaning if they like it, they buy it. Others may have a certain genre or design theme in mind. Such examples could include birthstones of family members, hobbies, religious themes, special occasions, pets, and specific gemstones, to name a few. A slider bracelet reflects your uniqueness and that is why they are so unique. Once your slider bracelet is complete, you may consider having a slider earring, ring, or pendant to complement your bracelet.
Several years ago, one of our clients purchased from us over a two-year period, four unique slider bracelets for her four daughters-in-law. He gave them as a Christmas present “to my daughters” as he referred to them because they always admired theirs. Tears welled up that special Christmas day. The love affair with their own bracelets inspired two of the daughters-in-law to start collecting slides for their own daughters that they will give as gifts to their daughters on their wedding day.
Slider bracelets are indeed a family affair, rich in tradition and an heirloom for the next generation.
