Charm Bracelets: The Origin Story
Jewelry hasn’t always been purely ornamental. Some of it started out of superstitious reasons. As far back as prehistoric periods, people used rocks, wood, or shells as little charms that they believed would ward off bad luck or evil spirits. This piece of jewelry spread across cultures and religions worldwide, from the Roman Empire to the 19th century. One of its first uses was to identify families and individuals, as well as to designate class and status. In fact, Queen Victoria and her affinity toward this delicate jewelry helped steer it away from superstition and move toward a fashion statement, making its popularity skyrocket.
Though present-day charm bracelets are no longer used as much for the particular purpose of keeping evil at bay, some parts of the world still maintain this practice to smaller degrees.
The Story of Your Life
One of the greatest things about these bracelets is the customization. As such, they fit seamlessly into any fashion, which in itself is one of the most important ways of expressing one’s individuality. As the 21st century set in, the interest in them has been growing steadily. People now choose different charms to display different parts of their personality, milestones in their lives, or perhaps values important to them.
Charm bracelets are the kind of bracelets more popular with celebrities, who like to commemorate special occasions with them, such as birthdays, graduation, marriage, or motherhood. More importantly, a lot of these bracelets stay in the family. Mothers pass them down to their daughters as an heirloom. Generations of daughters and granddaughters can get a good insight into what the lives of the women in their family were like in the past. Every piece is an element in the story that grows with every charm added.
Another interesting use is having your friends select a charm that best represents them, then putting them together into a bracelet that will remind you of them and commemorate your friendship. It’s like a scrapbook you can carry around on your wrist.
Variety is the Spice of Life
Designers and manufacturers have picked up on this thriving trend and are continuously providing a vast array of choice. You can now find bracelets in silver, gold, or platinum, and the charms can be anything from symbols and gems, to miniature motivational messages. The most popular charms include hearts, keys, four-leaf clovers, different animals such as horses, wolves, or cats, and even crescent moons and stars.
There is even a variation for people who aren’t so fond of dangly bits getting in the way of their day-to-day lives. This is where the Italian charm bracelet comes in. It is similar to an expansion band, in that it lies flat against the wrist. The charms in this bracelet are separate and easily interchangeable, each one interlocking with the next one.
Charm bracelets may have had their origins centuries ago, but they are far from outdated. This accessory has survived to this day for a good reason, and it is nowadays considered a classic piece for both girls and women.
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