Antique jewelry glossary

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Snake bracelet
or serpent bracelet

See our: serpent jewelry.

A type of bracelet made in the form of a snake or serpent, being of two styles:

• A solid band or a band of articulated parts representing a snake, some examples being enamelled and set with gemstones, especially to represent the eyes; examples were made in England in the 19th century, often completely covered with small stones of turquoise cut en cabochon and inlaid in pavé setting.
• A long coil of a flattened narrow gold band extending in 3 or more loops, having incised scales and terminating at one end with the head of the reptile and at the other with its coiled tail; examples of this type were made in Greece from the 3rd century BC, and also in the Roman Empire (some with a head at each end of the coil).

Such bracelets have been worn as an ornament or as a talisman, and are still being made in Greece today. Sometimes called a 'serpent bracelet'.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson