A personal interest, a milestone moment in life, or a protective amulet, charms and charm bracelets tell the most personal of all stories… yours. Charm bracelets jingle with joy as you move and share the story of your travels, family and hobbies in precious metals and gems. A charm bracelet may be as simple as one cherished charm dangling from a chain, or as nuanced as multiple charms gathered over a lifetime.
Collecting Charms
Highly collectible, you may want to start your own charm bracelet, adding to it as the adventures of your life unfold and passing it on to the next generation. You may collect charms from your travels, or you may have a charm bracelet dedicated to your family, a charm for each child, perhaps a disc engraved with a name and birth date.
You may have a special interest and choose to create a charm bracelet that reflects that theme, whether it’s horses, hearts, flags, or something else, collecting themed charms is a fun way to show your love of a particular subject. There are also fabulous vintage charm bracelets that are readily wearable now, telling a tale from a bygone era that still resonates today. Many branded jewelry design houses, such as Cartier, Verdura and Chanel all made charm bracelets that showcased miniatures of some of their most iconic designs, or their logo.
Charms also make great gifts. You can tap into an interest, or favorite gemstone. The recipient will be thrilled, not only with the charm, but how thoughtful you were in choosing something that holds special meaning for them. Charms also really never go out of style. Charm bracelets may have been more popular during some eras than others, but they always have a place in a jewelry wardrobe.
While bracelets are a preferred way to wear charms, the charm necklace is also a modern way to wear these beguiling baubles. Similar to a charm bracelet, the charm necklace is a chain with charms stationed at intervals along its length. Because it is worn around the neck, rather than on the wrist, it is more prominent and because it is longer, it can hold more charms.
Early Charms
While we think of charms as modern, they have roots in the ancient world, dating back to prehistoric times, when charms were worn for their protective powers by Egyptian, Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians. During the middle ages, knights wore charms under heavy armor to stay safe during battle and as a way to identify their status. With the dawn of the Renaissance and the age of enlightenment, charms were eschewed by the educated, upper society and royals who viewed them as superstitious nonsense, however for the less educated population, charms continued to be popular.
Victorian Charms
Charms got a big boost in popularity from Queen Victoria, who loved charms and charm bracelets. She is widely credited for bringing back the charm bracelet as we know it today. She had numerous charm bracelets which she was known to wear regularly, including one that had a locket for each of her children that clasped a lock of their hair. When her husband, Prince Albert, passed away, she wore a mourning charm bracelet that held his picture and a clipping of his hair in a locket.
Queen Victoria was so enamored with charms that she gave them as gifts to other royals and nobles. The charms she gifted were personalized to the interests of the recipient. It wasn’t long before all the aristocracy in Europe was wearing jingling charm bracelets. The charm was given another boost in 1889 when Tiffany & Co. introduced a charm bracelet with one single heart attached; it is still produced by the jeweler today.
Modern Charms
Charms gained popularity during the first few decades of the 20th century and became even more ubiquitous during and after World War II. During the war years, soldiers gifted their sweethearts with charms from places they had visited or been stationed, providing a way for soldiers and families to feel close and connected even though they were apart.
By the 1950s and ’60s charm bracelets were one of the most desired jewelry items. Young women, or teenagers, were gifted with a starter charm bracelet, a chain with a single charm leaving plenty of room to add charms throughout a lifetime. Charm bracelets began to fade in popularity for the next two decades, making a big comeback in the 1990s as personalization became more important. Since each collection of charms is unique to the person doing the collecting, charm bracelets are very personal and tend to be one of a kind. Today, charms are more popular than ever because they are personal, affordable, easily collectible and highly giftable.
Top of page: Diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, sapphire, rock crystal, tourmaline spell out the word dearest, 18-karat gold and platinum heart charm bracelet, circa 1970s.
Diamond, emerald, garnet, coral, rose quartz, enamel and 18-karat gold charm bracelet signed Verdura; Diamond and 18-karat gold charm bracelet, signed Cartier; 9-karat gold charm bracelet, circa 1950s; Diamond, enamel and 18-karat gold charm bracelet, signed Cartier.
Authored by Amber Michelle