I believe I must have been 12 years old when I saw a gold-plated anklet bracelet for the first time a sweet Indian girl was wearing on a family trip to Eswatini, a tiny kingdom next to South Africa.
Little did I know that one fine day I´ll be writing and helping you with your gold-plated anklets questions before you wow yourself and others after buying this unique body jewelry.
In this foot accessory guide, we´ll mainly focus on the meaning, material, care, and costs of a gold-plated anklet for women.
What Does A Gold Plated Anklet Mean?
Wearing a gold-plated anklet generally means that a female is either married (left foot) or unmarried (right foot). Moreover, in old Egypt prior to Islamization, it was a common culture of beauty as it is in Nigeria, whereby in the Igbo nation it may symbolize wealth and status too. In Jamaica, Haiti, and the USA it used to signal sexual openness, today it is a fashion statement.
As you can see, through time and place wearing anklets of different materials and designs meant different things, and as time changes the anklet bracelet has transformed into a modern trinket beyond spirituality or marital status nearly every female can proudly put on.
Anklet Jewelry Meaning By Culture
| Culture | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Mesopotamia | Status & Family Wealth | – |
| Egypt | Social Status (prior to Islam) | Social Status, Belly Dancers |
| India | Newlywed female, social status, spiritual positivity | Social status, fashion statement |
| Nigeria | Chief insignia (Igbos) social status, beauty statement | Social status, fashion statement |
| Jamaica | Sexual openness (negatively) | Openness (positively) |
| Haiti | Spirituality, devil-worshipping | Openness |
| West/USA | Sexual openness in unmarried and married women | Openness and fashion statement |
| Bible | Tendentially criticizing ornament wearing | Tendentially neutral status |
| Source: Litawear.com |
Obviously, for thousands of years, women have been in different cultures wearing leg ornaments ranging from real silver to pure gold and gold alloy like gold-plating, vermeil, and gold-filled anklets to express religious, marital, or wealth status.
However, there is much more to putting jewelry on your right or left foot worth knowing before you purchase your favorite piece.
Can A Man Wear An Anklet?
In certain African cultures like the Igbos of Nigeria male chieftaincy was symbolized by wearing gold-inspired ankle bracelets. It is also said that in certain Middle Eastern countries, especially prior to Islam it was common that men wore an anklet. Today, males do wear silver, gold-plated, or beads anklets as a fashion statement like females.
Which Leg To Wear An Anklet?
Typically putting a bracelet anklet on the right foot symbolized, depending on the culture, that a woman is married or getting married (Indian culture) whereby in Western culture it meant that a female is open to a relationship and is unmarried.
Wearing the anklet on the left-hand size signals that a female may be interested in another female or willing to explore an open relationship regardless of marital status.
It must be said though, that recent trends may just indicate that a woman or man indeed are putting a gold-plated dangle anklet around their left or right foot because they like that style, period.
Can You Sleep With Anklets On?
Certain yarn, plastic, nylon, and other non-metal, crystal, or gemstone-based materials can be possibly worn when going to sleep without damaging the fabric, surface, or base material. However, wide-used metals like gold, silver, pearls, or beaded anklets shouldn´t be slept with, because they are sensitive to harsh movements and could either tear or fade.
What Is The Best Material For Anklets?
Cute chain anklet ideas like sterling silver-based jewelry with string to gold-plated materials and more can all be used to create a piece of unforgettable foot jewelry. Here are the common materials today:
- Solid silver and 925 sterling silver
- Fine gold and gold-plated alloys
- Pearls
- Leather
- Embroidery black thread/obsidian
- Plastic
- Crystal
- Precious gemstones like diamond, sapphire or ruby, and more.
This is an incomplete, nevertheless thorough list of popular feet jewelry materials from fashion designers as well as DIY barefoot anklet lovers when it comes to how to make an anklet.
When it specifically comes to gold-plated charm anklets the most sought-after gold mix (alloy) is:
- 14k gold surface (it´s 53.6% real gold, plus metal mixtures like copper, zinc, nickel, or silver and it´s relatively affordable, durable, and can be designed in many ways)
- 18k gold (it´s valuable with 75% solid gold and the rest of 25% is nickel, copper, silver, zinc, or palladium, might be less durable ´cos real gold is rather soft)
- 24k gold (99.99% pure gold, therefore expensive, less durable in terms of withstanding scratches and pressure)
Therefore when it comes to gold-inspired jewelry making, 14 karat gold alloy is the most popular anklet material due to its typical bright yellow hue, affordability, and durability compared with the other higher-priced fine gold metal mixtures or 24k fine gold, which is orange-yellow, easy to bend, limited availability, pricey.
What Is The Cost Of Gold Anklets?
An 18k gold-plated sterling silver twist rope or curb link ankle bracelet can cost anywhere from $20,00 up to $400,00, depending on craftmanship and designer whereas a 10k Singapore chain anklet or 1.88mm thick Figaro chain anklet may cost between $99,00 to $400,00. Custom anklets can be depending on material much lower or higher.
Embellishing your feet with sizzling fine rope, cultured freshwater pearls, or evil eyes glass stone plus size ankle bracelet in 14k gold ornament is a modern personality and beauty statement everyone can afford, it doesn´t always have to be a luxurious Hermès Double Tour Apple Watch band, though edgy of course.
Initial Anklet Gold Trend Fact:
Gone are the days of viewing women wearing a gold-plated anklet with an initial as a “Sailor Peggy” easy-to-get female, thankfully.
You can wear your hippie-styled braided anklets for your next beach trip, make a friendship beaded ankle bracelet as well as a cubic zirconia diamond dangle chain anklet for a dinner date, the choice is yours.
By the way, don´t forget some guys like an anklet too!
How Long Should Anklet Be?
A normal-sized anklet typically has a length of 9 inches. Moreover, there are plus-sized ankle chains as well as adjustable ones to fit any leg size. The best ankle bracelet position is on top of the feet while sitting loosely on a person’s ankle. Expandable anklets are probably the most practical though metals may possess a more lasting impression and durability.
Finally, my teenage romantic encounter as a 12year old with the Indian beauty, I learned later, was actually a traditional payaal anklet symbolizing that she´s not married yet, which is actually more of a freestyle interpretation of the ancient old Hindi culture that usually symbolized that she is freshly married.
Time changes I guess and from your ankle to your necklace jewelry everything goes.
You are know herewith officially fully informed and allowed to pick your favorite handmade Madeleine ankle jewelry, even including a toe ring, or whatever piece you see fit as a gift to yourself or someone you care about.