By Anita Hale


The significance and characteristics of charm bracelets has evolved as time has gone on. For instance, in times of war, soldiers tended to invest in charms to serve as memorabilia for their partners. Such charms were usually crafted by an indigenous person and were presented to loved ones as a reminder of the place in which the soldier saw action. However, during the Fifties the popularity of charm jewellery extended beyond this as bracelets become popular with children. They enjoyed collecting charms to signify the numerous incidents and special occasions that took place while growing up.

Today's manifestation of charm bracelets appear to have been primarily developed in Europe - notably Denmark. This is where the brand Trollbeads headed the revitalization of charm jewellery throughout the 70's. The newer bracelets featured a modular concept, which basically meant that beads and charms were styled in a way that only made them compatible with bracelets made by the same company. This is exemplified by another Danish powerhouse, Pandora. They are currently the most popular charm brand having over 900 designs of charms, and use a threaded system with their charms which means they cannot be used on different brands of bracelets. These threads also make sure that charms fit firmly onto their matching bracelet, fuss-free while tying in customers to a specific brand.

Moreover, most charm specialists also offer a range of different clips or "spacers". These are like a simplistic charm that can be keep in a set point on the bracelet as a means of divvying up charms and stopping them from twisting around the bracelet. Alternative labels who use threading mechanisms in their bracelet construction include Lovelinks by Aagaard, Chamilia and Links of London.

Despite Europe heading the pack in regards to developing these various charm ranges, they have also turned out to be enormously fashionable in North America. The main advantage of these modern-day charm lines is the customization they allow. Bracelets are still available as chain links, just like the bracelets of the forties and fifties. Nonetheless, the most popular charm bracelets today are the gold and silver snake chains, which can hold a far greater number of charms.

Today's charms are made with a selection of materials and can greatly affect their sale price. Ordinarily these charms are made from sterling silver, but there are additional ranges made with murano glass, gemstones such as diamonds, enamel detail and in some cases wood that has been ethically sourced.




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