Generally most people wear charm bracelet jewelry around the wrist. It carries personal charms: decorative pendants or trinkets which are signifiers of important things in the wearer's life. In recent history, Italian charm bracelets have become trendy, and they are best-selling displayed through jewelry cards. While traditional charms dangle, Italian charms feature individual pieces soldered flat onto the surface of the link.

Rigid bracelets, usually from metal, wood, or plastic, are referred to as bangles or bangle bracelets. They can be smooth, textured or set with stones. In India, glass bangles are common. Made from ordinary glass that is about 1/4 – 1/8 inch in width, they are worn in groups so that arm movement causes them to make a gracious sound rather like the clinking of wind chimes. In India, it is also common that young children will wear thin gold bangles on their hands and ankles.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, "slap bracelets" – flat, felt-covered metal strips that curved around one's wrist when gently hit against it—were a popular fad. Often adorned with neon colors and vivid graphics, these bracelets without any jewelry cards attached could be found at inexpensive retailers. A rumor emerged that "slap bracelets" caused bleeding and puncture wounds and thus fell out of style. Usually made from loose beads with a center hole and connected by a piece of string or elastic band through the holes.

Bracelets made from connecting or linking various or similar components or jewelry findings. Link bracelets can be made of a variety of materials included metals and gemstones. Alternative health bracelets, such as karma bracelets, ionized bracelets, magnetic bracelets, Power Balance hologram bracelets, etc., which commonly hanging on jewelry cards are sold in boutiques, are a separate group not distinguished by their design but by their, supposed, beneficial function. Karma bracelets are made from wood beads and may contain various charms. This is associated to bring good luck and good karma to those who choose to wear it.