A rare and wonderful aluminum bracelet from the mid Victorian era. Aluminum was discovered in 1825 and was first used in jewelry in the 1850s. The difficulty of extracting the metal made it rarer and more expensive than gold for a brief period in time. Aluminum jewelry shown at the Paris Exhibition of 1867 caused a sensation. At the time this bracelet was made, jewelry made of this most common of metals was more popularly worn and more desirable than pieces made in silver or gold. This 7" bracelet features round links with blossoms riveted to a gilt metal base.