Tribute Tuesday: The Charm Bracelet

I love fashion pieces that seem to ebb and flow in popularity naturally over the years, appearing reincarnated in different forms for different decades. The charm bracelet is a fantastic example of a piece that has survived for almost two centuries because the idea of having meaningful jewelry that charts milestones in our lives is just too much to give up!

In recent years we've seen the traditional dangling charm bracelet fall out of favor with the rise of Pandora and more recently Alex & Ani for the younger crowd.

Love the simplicity of this A&A cornucopia bracelet

Pandora motivated women to collect a staggering amount of charms with each retailing for $20-$40 to form bracelets that in some cases were worth as much as a diamond tennis bracelet. Alex & Ani offered a different take on the charm bracelet for younger audiences with each bangle holding only one individual charm. The bangle effect meant that you could stack as few or as many as you may want at a time. 

Early onset arthritis, anyone?

My preference is for the vintage style with individual charms soldered to an open link bracelet. One of my absolute favorite pieces of jewelry is my mother's charm bracelet from her high school and college days. Its charms include a cheerleader, a graduation cap, a fisherman, and a bear. I love the look back at my mom's history when she was my age and the clear craftsmanship in a piece that has stood up to wear for almost 40 years. 

This post came to mind because I'm about to finish the charm bracelet that symbolizes the first year of my marriage. My anniversary is coming up next month and my charm bracelet is almost ready to drop off at the jeweler for assembly. I've got reminders of our honeymoon (a seashell), our favorite vacation destination (a pineapple), a token for where I come from (a Maine lobster) and a symbol for where we've made our life (a NH flag). I can't wait to get the rest of the charms in the mail. We've got a certain cross country road trip to commemorate, and of course a wedding charm!

My favorite place to shop for charms is on eBay. For a few dollars, you can scoop up authentic, stamped sterling silver charms. Some auctions definitely run away in price, so you've got to be firm about your max bid. I love knowing that these charms may be new to me, but that they have been loved previously by someone else who shared the same appreciation for this tinkling, intimate style of jewelry. 

Such amazing history on this vintage charm!

Some great articles about trends in charm bracelets if you're interested:

Are Charm Bracelets for Men the Next Jewelry Trend? by Uptown Magazine
The New Charm Bracelet by The Hunt
A Brief History of the Charm Bracelet by Barbara Michelle Jacobs