There are specific types of jewelry that have historical significance as well as reflecting your own personal history. For example, a charm bracelet, with your lifetime collection of charms, can reveal quite a bit about you. Another type, dating from the Victorian era, is the slider bracelet.
During the 19th century, women in England wore them as a fashion accessory. Since wristwatches were not created at that time, they wore heavy watches, often referred to as heavy hunting case watches, on a necklace. They added decorative “slides” to their chains that were placed 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 designed from engraved vintage watch keyrings; others were set with precious stones and were highly ornate. Other unique slides that were collected included pinheads that would be mounted on simple slides. Lucky for these ladies if there were many men in their family who would 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 were 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 am sure that most of the ladies never forget to put on their watches, especially such exquisite pieces of art. Very successful businessmen reflected their opulence by 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 over which a slider bracelet is placed. The sliders have four drilled holes (two at both ends) for the chain or cable to slide through. Many older 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 slider 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 carriers are made up of two cable supports made of braided wire that is flexible. While it’s easy to add, rearrange, or remove slides thanks to the detachable latch, they also come with a downside; the end of the cables can become frayed 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 elaboration 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 odd or unworn pieces of jewelry that you may have in your jewelry box. As an example, you may have a single pair of ½ odd pair earrings that can now be incorporated and made into a slide.
Some collectors buy slides randomly, that is, 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 want to consider having a slider earring, ring, or pendant to complement your bracelet.
Several years ago, one of our clients purchased four unique slider bracelets from us over a two-year period for his four daughters-in-law. He gave them as a Christmas present “to my daughters” as he referred to them because they always admired his daughters. Tears welled up on 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 to 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.