The History Of Modern Charms

Posted by | Posted on 1:21 AM

By Sarit Simayof

Whether you prefer silver charms or gold charms it is hard to imagine a more unique piece of jewelry than a charm bracelet. Each one is unique, plus charms can also be used on necklaces and even on earrings. They are highly collectable and often are very detailed replicas of places, symbols, events and special occasions.

Mixing and matching different types of charms with each other on bracelets is one of the fun aspects of charm bracelets. There are no hard and fast rules about what you can or cannot do with your charm collections and silver and gold charms can easily be used on the same bracelet or kept completely separate. Adding both types of metal charms to your bracelet means it can easily be matched with anything you may decide to wear.

Charms actually date back to some of the earliest forms of jewelry. The first recognizable use of the charm bracelet goes back to the type of Egyptian Pharaohs. The precious metals were shaped into symbols that were of importance to the wearer of the bracelet as well as the gods. People were buried with their charm bracelets on as a way to provide information that would go with them to the afterlife.

In early Roman civilizations silver charms and gold charms were used to indicate if the wearer was a Christian. Small fish shaped charms served as a way to allow people into secret meetings and gatherings. Even early Jewish scholars used hollowed out charms to store small pieces of religious text.

Charms continued to be used to keep away bad spirits even into the Middle Ages and up to the Renaissance period. Some of these types of gold and silver charms were very detailed and became the modern good luck charms still in use.

Queen Victoria of England again revitalized the charm bracelet and the use of charms as a fashion accessory in the early 20th century. Charms that included family crests, flags and landmarks from different countries became very popular.

Soldiers returning home from World Wars l and ll often brought back small charms from different countries and areas of the world they visited. Local jewelers catered to this growing market by making easy to recognize symbols from different areas. Wives, girlfriends and mothers in the United States often had charms from many different countries on their charm bracelets.

New additions to traditional charms include other types of materials within the gold or silver charm. These can include precious or semi-precious gems, crystal, cut glass or even different types of metals. Charms are still popular with women of all ages and are again being shown in many fashion shows around the world.

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