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