Charms & Charm Bracelets

A charm bracelet is an item of jewelry worn around the wrist. It carries personal charms: decorative pendants or trinkets which are signifiers of important things in the wearer's life. more...

The wearing of charms may have begun as a form of amulet to ward off evil spirits or bad luck.

Charm bracelets have been the subject of several waves of trends. Queen Victoria wore charm bracelets that started a fashion among the European noble classes. Soldiers returning home after World War II brought home trinkets made by craftsmen local to the area where they were fighting to give to loved ones, and local jewelers were quick to pick up the fad. American teenagers in the 1950s collected charms to record the events in their lives. Although interest and production waned through the latter part of the 20th century, collectors eagerly sought out vintage 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. Some high fashion names such as Louis Vuitton and Juicy Couture began issuing their own collectible charms.

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