Charms and Charm Bracelets - A Short History

For many centuries men and women have beengreat influence on charm bracelet wearing by the
wearing charms as amulets to protect them fromgeneral population who began to wear them, not
evil spirits, or as amulets for luck and prosperity.as amulets, but as decorative items. Lockets,
Wearing charm bracelets seems to have beenfamily crests and beads became the mode of the
started by the ancient Egyptians who wore themday. Following the conclusion of World War 2
as signs of their devotion and to carry with themthere was a huge upsurge of charm wearing as
to the afterlife, in order that the gods couldsoldiers brought back gems and beads to their
identify them and give them their correct position.fiancees from different countries of the world.
The early Christians in Rome carried a charmCraftsmen in the US picked up the trend and
shaped as a fish to recognize one another. In thebegan to make gold charm jewelry. Ever since
Dark Ages, they were used for religious andthe wearing of thgis type of jewelry has
political recognition and to indicate the family ofcontinued to boom.
the bearer. Knights in the Middle Ages carriedNowadays a broad diversity of pendants, earrings
them to protect them in battle and the commonand charm bracelets are available with bracelets
people also them. During the Renaissance the usebeing the most admired. The precious metals,
faded, especially by the richer classes, as peoplesilver and gold, are usually used though some
became better educated and less inclined to bepeople favor bracelets made from beads or seed
superstitious. Nonetheless the less knowledgeablepearls with precious metal charms. Bracelets differ
poorer classes still wore charms as protectionin price from less than $100 to over $1000 so are
against evil and to give them good luck.within everyone's finances. There are scores of
The wearing of charms and particularly charmtypes of religious charms depicting saints and a
bracelets was revitalized in Great Britain by Queensubstantial selection of charms depicting objects
Victoria who wore a gold bracelet with locketsand animals including hearts, cupids, crosses,
containing images of her close family. This had adolphins etc.