What is a charm bracelet?

Always charming

A charm bracelet is a delightful and beautiful gifts that can last you a lifetime. For centuries, custom gold and silver charm bracelets have been a very popular choice for women from different cultures around the world, social classes and age groups. A lot of charm bracelets have been passed down from grandmother to mother and daughter. This article is for those who wish to start a new tradition with bracelets, want to make a personalized gift, or simply are interested in bracelets. In this article, you will find out more about those interesting jewelry pieces and what they signify.

Charm Bracelet – A short history

The main question is “what is a charm bracelet and what does it symbolize?”

A simple definition is that such a bracelet is a delicate piece of jewelry which features small charms (or trinkets) and it is intended to wear on the wrist. It is hard to pinpoint the exact moment when this tradition started, but scientists discovered the oldest evidence in Africa and dated it over 75,000 years ago. The oldest European bracelet is around 30.000 years old, from the middle of the last ice age, and it had charms crafted out of mammoth ivory. It was a very interesting behavior for people to wear this type of jewelry back then. Scholars believe that the charm bracelet had aesthetic or emotional reasons like today, or that it symbolized allegiance or faith. Some charm bracelets even symbolized magic amulets to promote luck and to drive evil spirits away.

The modern tradition regarding the charm bracelet has a Victorian origin. The famous Queen Victoria owned a series of very beautiful charm bracelets. This fuelled a fashion among the middle and upper class of America and Europe. As years progressed, the charm bracelet became more and more popular. During the early 20^th century they became a fashionable item for those less wealthy. During the wars, soldiers often sent back charms and trinkets to their girlfriends, wives, daughters, and mothers. From the 1950s, Hollywood actresses promoted charm bracelets on the big screen, increasing their popularity to this day.

The significance of charms

Depending on the trinkets and materials, charm bracelets can have a different meaning. As different types of charms have certain meanings, some can be more suitable than others for certain occasions. Many books have been written explaining the significance of charm bracelets, gemstones, charm trinkets, and jewelry metals.

Religious and spiritual Symbols

Charms have always been a popular choice for their spiritual symbols. As a sign of faith, people believe that this type of charm will bless the wearer and bring good fortune. In the traditional Christianity, you can find symbols such as the Holy Cross, Mother Mary, the Sacred Heart, St Christopher and Dave. But many other symbols exist throughout different other religions, including Buddhism and Hinduism. Symbols such as guarding angels are even more popular because they cross the religious boundaries.

Zodiac and Nature Charm bracelets

Charm bracelets can be also feature zodiac or nature symbols. These types of silver or gold plated chain charm bracelets make great birthday gifts. The zodiac charm bracelets represent the 12 zodiac signs, as well as their ruling planets. This type of charm bracelets often has gemstones. The nature charm bracelets can have a wide range of animals, plants, and insects, including bees, ladybirds, dogs, cats, and certain types of leaves. It is also possible to find the tree of life on this type of charm chain bracelets.

Charms and Special Occasions

Charm bracelets have always been very popular gifts, especially to mark special occasions. Many birthday gifts for those celebrating their 18^th or 21^st birthday consist of charms. Other occasions where chain bracelets mark special moments are weddings and important anniversaries.

Charms for inspiration, luck, and love

Going back to the roots of charm bracelets, this category of jewelry promotes love, protection, luck, and inspiration. These bracelets can have special quotes to encourage self-belief or interlink two destinies through love. The classic good luck charms like horseshoes, anchors, “lucky rabbit’s foot”, four-leaved clovers, and nautical wheels are also very popular.

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Ruxandra

Ruxandra is a fashion blogger who teaches fashion stumped twenty to thirty somethings how to shop their jewelry boxes for polished new ensembles. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Fashionista, Nylon, and Refinery29.