Silver bangles are jewelry and stores of value at the same time. This is what they have always been used for, even though they are not standardized and have no guaranteed silver content. At one time, collectors used to classify bangles as currency, but most are now of the opinion that these bangles, as described in old Chinese novels, were part of the savings of any good housewife – they were the "nest egg" in the family budget, and were valued not only by weight but also according to their artistic quality.