Charm Gold Jewelry

Where did charm bracelets originate? No one knows for sure. The demand for charms or amulets existed in ancient society, and date back to 500BC. The charms were made of natural gems or rocks (such as lapis or quartz) that were carved with designs of animals or their gods. The amulets were believed to have supernatural powers, protecting the wearer from harm, or bring luck and love.

In the late 1800's Queen Victoria set the style with her elaborate gems and jewelry. She chose to wear a charm bracelet with photos of family members in little lockets.

Demand grew again in the early years of the 20th century. Soldiers that traveled during WWII would bring little gifts and trinkets home to their loved ones. These were worn on charm or memory bracelets. This trend extended many decades, up into the 1970's. It was a mark of society to give a young girl a charm bracelet before she reached age 13 (or puberty). Each special event, anniversary, birthday or holiday a new charm was given as a gift, usually by the person that gave the girl the original bracelet. The charms represented the girls hobbies, special interests, likes and dislikes. They were gold or silver, enameled in color or plain, three-dimensional or flat. The more variety one had, the more interesting the bracelet.

Today charm bracelets have come of age. They are living history lessons. Each charm tells a story. And they make wonderful, romantic, sentimental gifts that are truly priceless when handed down from generation to generation. Many women will take a charm off their bracelet and wear it as a pendant for a special event, replacing it with another charm as their mood changes. Charms have become the gift of choice for many due to their flexibility and the large array of choices! And as new charms are added to a bracelet, new stories are told.

The charms are:

    * an elephant: "Felicite" (happiness)
    * a heart: "Amour" (love)
    * a four-leaf clover: "Bonheur" (luck)
    * a horsehoe magnet: "Argent" (silver -- or money, due to the magnet's "drawing" power)
    * a die, showing seven spots: "Veine" (games of chance; gambler's luck)
    * the number 13: "Joie" (joy; the usual use of this number is as general luck or gambler's luck)
    * a pig: "Prosperite" (prosperity)
    * a hamsa hand: "Richesse" (riches; this is not accurate -- the hamsa hand protects against the evil eye; this one is unusual in that in place of the bilaterally symmetrical filigree design of an Arab "hand of Fatima" or an eye in the palm (which would make it an eye-in-hand amulet), it has a little arabesque curlique in the palm which is not visible on this scan (and barely visible on the original)
    * a horseshoe: "Fidelite" (fidelity; not entrely accurate -- the usual meaning is attraction or "drawing")
    * a pansy: "Souvenir" (remembrance; i have not encountered the pansy as a lucky charm elsewhere; it belongs more properly to the "language of flowers" than the "language of good luck charms")

The 20th century American charm bracelet at left features a variety of lucky charms in a bright mix of brass, copper, sterling silver, and gold-plated metal.

This bracelet is typical of the kind of jewelry worn by adolescent girls in the 1950s and 1960s, collected charm by charm while travelling through the tourist traps, flea markets, jewelry stores, and yard sales of the heartland. It is, in fact, my very own charm bracelet! There are 13 charms on it, demonstating the use of "unlucky" 13 as reversed bad luck. Clockwise from the top, they are:

    * a silver heart engraved with initials: love for the named individual
    * a brass heart pierced by an arrow: smitten romantic love
    * a silver horseshoe: attraction or "drawing" luck
    * a gold wishbone set with a pearl: wishes come true
    * a silver horseshoe on which is placed a wishbone, a four-leaf clover, a horseshoe and the words "Good Luck": good luck
    * a gold and green enamelled four-leaf clover: luck
    * a silver money bag with a $ sign: wealth
    * a copper horseshoe on which is placed a four-leaf clover: good luck
    * a brass heart padlock: faithful love
    * a silver spread of playing cards: gambling luck
    * a gold double horseshoe set with an artificial diamond: money luck
    * a brass money bag marked 1000: wealth
    * a silver horseshoe: attraction or "drawing" luck

Other popular 20th century charms not depicted on this page but often found on European and American charm bracelets include:

    * a swastika: luck (pre-Hitlerian, of course)
    * twin hearts pierced by a single arrow: reciprocated love
    * an Amanita muscaria mushroom: luck
    * a chimney sweep or his ladder and brush: luck
    * a so-called "Lucky Buddha": luck
    * a black cat: gambling luck

Unrelated to European and American charm bracelets -- but probably made to meet Occidental rather than Oriental tastes -- are the so-called Chinese charm bracelets made with glass beads, jade carvings, and metal amulets strung on black cord and tied around the wrist.