The History of Charms and Charm Bracelets

The concept of the charm bracelet dates back to antiquity and has never gone out of style. Although the technology, designs, and materials have changed, the historical custom of wearing charm bracelets has not.      

Initially, this type of jewelry served a religious or mystical function dating back to prehistoric times. Elizabeth Florence, president of the Jewelry Information Center, states that charm bracelets were first worn by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Hittites from 500 to 400 B.C. The charms were created from locally available gems such as lapis lazuli and rock crystal. They were inscribed with symbolic designs of gods, humans, and animals. They served as protective talismans and were closely associated with magical or spiritual powers.

As time went on, charms became more fashion oriented and diminished in religious significance. The Victorian era of the 1890s, due to the love of intricate and elaborate jewelry and clothing, spurred a renaissance of charms. Queen Victoria herself helped fuel the charm bracelet craze by wearing a bracelet of tiny lockets holding family portraits.

During WWII, a second revival of charm bracelets occurred in the U.S. as soldiers stationed abroad obtained charms as souvenirs from European cities and brought them home as presents for their wives and girlfriends. This fashion trend continued well into the 1950s.

Although charms have never gone completely out of style, their popularity fluctuates with the times. Today they are becoming increasingly popular once again as personal keepsakes in a mass-produced jewelry market. Popular themes for bracelets include horoscope signs, birthstone charms, travel souvenirs, and family keepsakes. Many women begin their charm collection as children, and the charm bracelet grows along with them, reflecting their interests and experiences. Charms are available on every topic. A charm bracelet can hold a tiny replica of a wedding bouquet, a sports trophy, a diploma, and even tiny lockets containing family photos.

Charms are also popular gifts because of their affordability. An elaborate silver charm can be bought for less than 10 dollars, for example. However, charms cover a wide range of prices, and you can spend hundreds of dollars on an 18k gold charm set with gems.

Italian charms are a genre unto themselves. They don't dangle from a chain like traditional charms. Instead, each design is soldered onto a flat link that snaps onto an extensible bracelet. The designs range from letters, symbols, pictures, precious gems, and small enamel paintings. The charms can be easily snapped on and off these modular bracelets. This allows the wearer to create new configurations to match different moods and outfits. Traditionally made of stainless steel, they also come in more expensive 18k gold versions. Each Italian charm is a standard, interchangeable size. The Italian charm bracelet can be customized to fit any woman's wrist. The smallest size holds seventeen or fewer links, the medium size holds eighteen, and a large size holds nineteen or more.

While different companies make Italian charms, all brands of Italian charms are supposed to be interchangable on the basic bracelet. A starter bracelet of blank links costs around five dollars, the average charm runs 15 dollars or more. Many of these Italian charms are actually manufactured in China, and while they are popular due to their low prices, a few consumers have reported occasional oddities such as reversed images and an off-size fit on the standard bracelet.