Charm Jewelry
A charm bracelet is an item of jewelry worn around the wrist, it carries personal charms; decorative pendants or trinkets, which signify important Things in the wearer’s life.
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 European noble classes, soldiers returning home after World war brought home trinkets made by craftsmen local to the area where they were fighting to give to loved ones.
Charms go back as far as the Neolithic era where man would pick up an unusual stone or piece of wood and carry it with him to ward off his enemies, elaborate jewelry made of precious stones and metals, emerged during the age of the Egyptian Pharaohs, it was during this time that the first recognizable charm bracelets and necklaces first appeared.
The citizens of ancient Egypt lived very short lives by today’s standard, with so little time on earth, they obsessively prepared for a prosperous life after death, charm bracelets played a significant role in the preparation process, charm wrist and neck bracelets were not only used as protective shields and signs of status in this life, they were also worn as I.D. tags to help the gods guide the wearer and his possessions to the proper status in the afterlife.
During the Roman empire, Christians would pull the “fish” charm from underneath their garments to identify themselves to other Christians to gain entry into secret, forbidden worship activities.
The Jewish scholar of that same time, would write passages from Jewish law on tiny slips of parchment, and insert the slips into a small, golden amulet that was worn around his neck, to keep the law close to the heart.
Wearing of charms began to lose favor with the wealthy classes during the Renaissance, however, charms and amulets were still widely used by people of lesser means and education.
In the early 20th century, the bracelets of Queen Victoria ignited the next big wave of charm wearing. They went from being practical tools to becoming decorative fashion jewelry, the charm bracelet disappeared from the fashion scene during the 1970’s, but in the mid 1980’s charm bracelets reappeared, showing up in antique stores and flea markets.
The boom in collectibles in the 1990’s drove a huge demand for vintage charm bracelets and were highly prized by serious collectors, the fashion industry once again discovered the lure of the charm bracelets, flooding the market with new styles in all price ranges, declaring them the must-have accessory for any occasion.
