What is the importance of Jack's bracelet in the novel, Youngblood?

The bracelet Jack wears for most of the first half of the novel is a symbol of his attachment to his home and life back in the United States. He uses it as a means of reassurance and comfort in the first half of the novel. However, after his fight with Marissa, Jack realizes he no longer fits in the world he left behind and snaps the bracelet off, signifying his progress towards going native.