Anklet – Everything You Need to Know About This Accessory
Anklets have been worn for thousands of years, in one form or another, and they remain one of the few pieces of jewelry whose meaning shifts depending on which ankle one sits on, who is doing the reading, and which century they are reading from.
This guide goes through what an anklet is, how it is worn and fastened, what it has meant across cultures and religions, how to make one at home, and the practical questions — sizing, price, and whether anyone still cares which side you choose.
- What Is an Anklet?
- Anklet in Religion
- Anklet in Buddhism
- How to Make Anklets
- FAQs
What Is an Anklet?
An anklet is a piece of jewelry worn around the ankle, and the term ankle bracelet means the same object — the only real difference from a wrist bracelet is the size and the fit. Anklets are worn in most parts of the world, and in many cultures they are part of tradition rather than decoration.
How to Wear an Anklet
It goes around the ankle the way a bracelet goes around the wrist. Some people wear a plain thread, some a single pendant on a cord, some a fully embellished piece. The choice comes down to taste, and to the culture and place the wearer belongs to.
How to Fasten One
Most anklets sold today close with a clasp; gold styles in particular usually have a proper lock that opens and shuts to accommodate the wearer's size. Depending on the design, you either get a chain of small loops to hook into or a single safety clasp.
A DIY thread anklet is tied rather than closed, and it is the older method. Wrap the string around your ankle first, hold the start of the loop firmly, then wind the loose end around the loop until a sturdy knot forms. Repeat until it holds, then tie it off.
What an Anklet Means Across Cultures
Meaning shifts with whoever is doing the reading. In some cultures an anklet announces social status. Gold anklets have been associated with wealth and with married women; elsewhere silver was worn by unmarried women, and in cultures that practiced slavery silver anklets were worn by enslaved women — the same material carrying an entirely different and much grimmer story. One object, several unrelated histories.
What Anklets Symbolize Today
Over time anklets have stood for slavery, freedom, marital status, sexual preference, and religious belief, which is a heavy load for a small piece of jewelry. Lately they tend to mark a tradition, a belief, or simply a personal style, and the symbolism travels with the design: a butterfly anklet, a white gold or rose gold piece, a Cuban link chain each carries a different reference.
Why Women Wear Them
The reasons have stayed fairly constant. To look and feel good, to draw attention, to guard against illness or bad luck, and to signal whether the wearer is single or married.
What It Means When a Woman Wears One
Worn by a woman, an anklet reads as femininity, charm, and confidence. Older societies used it to mark class, gender, and marital status, and sometimes treated it as a talisman. In most places now it is an ornament, chosen for how it looks and nothing more.
What the Right Ankle Means
Answers vary by culture, and some of them are unkind. Certain older societies held that an unmarried woman wearing an anklet on the right ankle was looking for a partner, and judged her for it; in other places a married woman wearing one on the right was suspected of an affair. Neither reading carries much weight today.
What the Left Ankle Means
The left side has traditionally been read as protection from illness and evil forces, or as a sign that the wearer is committed or married and not looking elsewhere. The two readings sit comfortably together, which helps explain why the left remains the conventional side.
Which Leg Should You Choose?
Either, in practice. Customs have loosened enough that the ankle is a matter of preference, and as long as the anklet does not jingle distractingly and is not worn over clothing, there is no practical reason to favor one side over the other.
If you do follow tradition, the convention is left for married, committed, or protective wear, and right for anyone hoping to attract a partner.
An Anklet Worn by a Wife
Husbands once gave anklets — often in gold — as a token of love, and they were worn with real pride. The gesture survives; the weight of meaning attached to it has lightened a great deal.
Can Men Wear Anklets?
They can, and some do. Anklets are not a gendered object, whatever the social pressure of the last century implied, and men's anklets were common in ancient cultures as a marker of status. The resistance now is mostly habit: jewelry below the neck has been coded feminine for so long that many men still hesitate. That is a convention, not a rule.
What Size Anklet Should You Get?
A quarter of an inch to an inch more than your ankle measurement. That leaves enough slack for the anklet to sit comfortably without sliding down over the heel.
Are Anklets Still in Style?
They never really left, which is a different thing from being a trend. Anklets suit a formal outfit about as well as bare feet on a beach, and that range is why they keep being worn.
Do Black Obsidian Anklets Work?
Black obsidian anklets are sold as a way to reduce swelling and pain in the ankles and feet, and the people who wear them generally say they help. The claim is traditional rather than medical, and obsidian has been credited with drawing off inflammation for a long time. There is no harm in trying one.
Anklet in Religion
Anklets turn up in more religious traditions than most people expect. Egyptian religion used particular anklets to acquire certain powers or to fight off evil, and Wicca treated an evil eye anklet as protection from spirits and harm.
In Hinduism, anklets are associated with conserving energy — the sound and the weight of them are said to keep a person's energy close even while walking and working. That is why they are worn for prayer and for daily tasks alike.
Anklet in Buddhism
In Buddhism, anklets have a real place in practice. They are worn while praying, doing yoga, or following a spiritual routine, and are used to invite positive energy — mental peace, success, prosperity, health — into a life, and to keep negative energy out of the body and the space around it.
How to Make Anklets
Making an anklet is a reasonable afternoon's work, and every version starts with the same measurement. The methods below cover the usual approaches.
Measuring for an Anklet
Measure the circumference of your ankle, then add half an inch to three quarters of an inch for an accurate fit. Write the number down; you will need it for the clasp position as well as the length.
Making One at Home
You need thread or cord, scissors, tape to secure the loops, and whatever you plan to string on — beads, seashells, crystals. Thread the material on, tape both ends so nothing slips, and loop the start and the end of the string together. The anklet is done.
Making a String Anklet
Cut a length of string to your ankle measurement with a few extra inches for knotting and looping. Tie one end somewhere secure, tape it for extra safety, and start winding a second, colored string around the first until you have the pattern you want. Then bring the two ends together and form a loop to lock it.
Making a Bead Anklet
For a beaded or pearl anklet, cut the wire to your ankle measurement plus a few inches. Crimp a bead on and attach the clasp by bending the wire back around it, then pull the end tight before stringing the beads in the color and pattern you have chosen. With all the beads on, thread a crimp bead at the end, add a jump ring, tuck the wire in and tighten.
Making a Braided Anklet
Pick two or three colors and cut the strands to your ankle size, leaving a few extra inches. Tie a knot at the start and braid the threads together as tightly as you can. Knot the ends when you finish.
Making an Adjustable Anklet
An adjustable version takes two strands of cord. String the donut on each strand in a lark's head knot, then take the doubled cords from the right, across and over to the left, into the loop. That is the first adjustable knot; repeat it for the second and pull both tight. With a knot on each side, the anklet slides to fit.
Where to Buy Anklets
A reputable jewelry store, online or otherwise, will offer more choice than a market stall — and more information about what the material actually is. Look for a piece that suits your style rather than the trend of the moment.
FAQs
How much should an anklet cost?
Material decides almost all of it. A cord or simple silver anklet can cost a few dollars, while a fine gold or gemstone piece runs into the thousands, and an antique with provenance can go far higher than that.
Are anklets trashy?
No. The idea that they are dates from a period when any jewelry worn below the hem was considered suspect. They are an ordinary accessory, and how they read depends on the material and on what you wear them with.
Can you wear a bracelet as an anklet?
Usually, yes, if the chain is long enough and the clasp does not dig into the ankle bone. What stops people is less the style than the fit — a bracelet chain can be too short, or too delicate to survive daily wear near a shoe.
Can you wear anklets on both ankles?
You can, either as a matched pair or deliberately mismatched. Nothing forbids it, and the only thing to consider is whether the sound of two of them bothers you while you walk.
Where did anklets originate?
They appear independently in a long list of places rather than spreading from one source. Babylonian, Egyptian, and Wiccan traditions all have their own versions, and across South Asia anklets have been worn continuously for centuries. Claims that a single culture invented them are hard to support.
