Charms For Bracelets - A Special Gift Appreciated Always
Remembrance of special times, events or interests!

Charms For Bracelets - Simply Charming - But When Did It All Begin?
No one knows for sure when charms became popular.  A common held belief is that charms may have started as an amulet used to keep evil spirits or bad luck away from the person wearing it.

Again in ancient Egypt, charms were used by the wearer to bring good luck and also as a faith symbol.  When an Egyptian died, it was believed that the charms would identify the dead individual to the gods in the afterlife.  As time went on, medieval knights wore the charms to protect them when they went into battle.  During the Dark Ages, charms were worn to identify the individual’s religious affiliation, their political convictions and also their family origin.

Charm bracelet trends have come and gone over the years.  When Queen Victoria sat on the throne, she wore charm bracelets which started a new trend among the noble class who also began wearing charm bracelets.

Soldiers who were returning home after World War II, brought back trinkets for their family members.  These trinkets were made by the craftsmen who lived in the villages where they were stationed during the war.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, American teenagers became interested in collecting charms to depict important events in their personal lives.  During the latter part of the 20th century, interest in charms and charm bracelets tapered off.  Around the year 2000, interest in charm bracelets made a comeback and soon gained in popularity.  The popularity revolved around vintage charms and collectors eagerly sought after these types of charms and charm bracelets.

What Is A Charm?
A charm bracelet is an attractive piece of jewelry which is worn around the wrist. On the bracelet are links to attach the charm itself.  This charm has a personal meaning to the individual wearing it. The decorative little charms are chosen to represent important events; thus, the image of the charm is chosen to closely resemble the event itself.  The charm may also be worn as a pendant.

Types Of Charm Bracelets And Charms
There are charm bracelets which have become popular based on their origin.  For instance, European charm bracelets began to emerge as a new trend around 2002.  They have now become popular in North America.

They are unusual in the way they are made.  The charm bracelets are modular bracelets and consist of a chain on which the different charms or beads can be fastened.  The charms, themselves, generally are made from gold, silver or Murano glass and can be interchanged to allow the individual to express their style and unique personality.

NOTE:  Charms can also be made from lead.  It is extremely important that before buying a charm that the content of the charm be known since ingested lead can cause death in children.

Customers have an incredible range of beads to choose from.  They are limited only by their interest, needs and finances. However, whatever your interest, or finances, beads will be available to fit the need. The prices vary according to the metals used in the bracelet and the material used for the charm.  Some wearers choose to mix and match using the beads as a necklace with matching earrings.

During the 1980’s a successful campaign was run encouraging the individual to “add a bead”.  Earlier in the 1960’s the same campaign was successful with “adding a pearl” to pearl necklaces.

Italian Charm Bracelets
In 2001, a new twist was added to charm bracelets.  Rather than have the charms dangling from the bracelet, the charms are flat and snapped onto the body of the bracelet itself.  Even the bracelet is different in that modular links can be hooked together to form the bracelet.  For those individuals who have never felt comfortable with the dangling charms, the traditional way to wear the charms on the bracelet, the Italian charm bracelets are different.  They feature individual pieces which are soldered flat onto the surface of the link. Besides the bracelets, charms can be added to other accessories such as keychain.

Not to be outdone, high fashion has taken a serious interest in Italian charm bracelets.  The likes of Louis Vuitton and Juicy Couture have designed their own collections for the Italian charms. 

In 2001, a new fashion was launched for Italian charm bracelets, in which the charms are snapped onto the body of the bracelet rather than dangled from it. Italian charms are flat, modular links that hook together to form an Italian charm bracelet, keychain, or other accessories. While traditional charms dangle, Italian charms feature individual pieces soldered flat onto the surface of the link. Some high fashion names such as Louis Vuitton and Juicy Couture have begun issuing their own collectible Italian charms.

In the United Kingdom,  the most successful brand of European charm bracelet is Pandora and Lovelinks. In the United States Biagi, Chamilia and Trollbeads are also very popular. Charms for bracelets come in many different designs using a variety of gems and other more common materials to make them fashionable and unique to the designer.