| The custom of wearing charm bracelets dates | | | | women start collecting charms when they are |
| back thousands of years, and though the | | | | children, and the charm bracelet grows along |
| materials and designs on them have changed, | | | | with them, reflecting hobbies and personal |
| the concept itself has never gone out of | | | | experience. A charm bracelet can hold a small |
| style. | | | | replica of a graduation cap, wedding bells, |
| | | | or lockets with children's photos. |
| This form of jewelry initially had a religous | | | | |
| function, and dates back to the prehistoric | | | | Charms are also a popular gift because of |
| era. According to Elizabeth Florence, | | | | their affordable price. An intricate silver |
| president of the Jewelry Information Center, | | | | charm can be obtained for less than ten |
| "The first charm bracelets were probably worn | | | | dollars, though it is possible to spend |
| by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and | | | | hundreds of dollars on a charm made of 18K |
| Hittites from 500 to 400 B.C. Those charms | | | | and set with gems. |
| were made of lapis lazuli, rock crystal and | | | | |
| other gems and were inscribed with small | | | | Italian charms, a genre in and of themselves, |
| designs, such as figures of gods, man and | | | | do not dangle from a chain like traditional |
| animals. They were immediately associated | | | | charms. Instead, they are soldered onto flat |
| with special powers." | | | | links which snap onto an extensible bracelet. |
| | | | They are embellished with letters, symbols, |
| As time passed, charms lost their protective | | | | pictures or stones, or have enamel pictures |
| spiritual functions and became fashion | | | | painted on them. Charms can be snapped on and |
| jewelry. The 1890's saw a renaissance of | | | | off these modular bracelets to create new |
| charms, especially in Victorian England, | | | | configurations to match different moods and |
| where elaborate and intricate jewelry was in | | | | outfits. They are traditionally made of |
| vogue. Queen Victoria helped popularize the | | | | stainless steel or 18k gold. Italian charms |
| trend by wearing a charm bracelet of small | | | | are of the same standard size and the |
| lockets holding family portraits. | | | | resulting bracelet can be customized to fit |
| | | | every wrist; a small size holds 17 or less |
| WW II caused another revival of charm | | | | links, a medium 18, and a large 19 or more. |
| bracelets in America in the 1940's and | | | | |
| 1950's, as soldiers stationed abroad picked | | | | There are different companies which produce |
| up charms as souvenirs in the European cities | | | | Italian charms, but all brands can be |
| they visited and brought them home for wives | | | | interchanged on the same bracelet. The basic |
| and girlfriends. The fashion trend continued | | | | "starter" bracelet of blank links costs |
| well into peacetime. | | | | approximately five dollars, and the charms |
| | | | cost fifteen dollars and up. China also |
| Charms still remain a popular jewelry item, | | | | manufactures Italian charms, and while these |
| as personalized keepsakes in an increasingly | | | | are popular (and, as with most Chinese goods, |
| mass-produced jewelry market. Popular themes | | | | very competitively priced), some consumers |
| include horoscope signs, birthstone charms, | | | | report occasional oddities such as reversed |
| travel souvenirs, and family keepsakes. Many | | | | images and poor fit. |