The importance and functionality of charm bracelets has evolved significantly over recent years. They were originally popularised by soldiers who would buy them as a form of memento of whatever place they were currently serving in. These charms were far from the precision machined charms that are available today. In fact, they tended to be far cruder, made by a local craftsman from whatever resources were available to him. The charm would be bought by the soldier who would then return to his native country and present it to his loved one as a souvenir of his time away. The demographic for charms shifted towards children during the fifties. For them the appeal lay with collecting as many charms as possible, with each one representing a special event such as a birthday.
The most recent embodiment of charm bracelets have been predominantly made in Europe, and most notably in Denmark. It was the Danish company Trollbeads that prompted the resurrection of charm jewellery throughout the 70s. These later bracelets were distinguishable from the old ones by their modular construction. This basically meant that charms had been engineered to fit a unique threaded system employed by that specific company. For instance, the charm company Pandora, works with a copyrighted model that means their charms are not going to slide onto competitors' bracelets. Such patented engineering also ensures that charms will fit correctly onto their intended bracelet, enabling them to be swapped around easily.
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.
Similarly the charms are built from numerous resources and this, along with their design, can affect the price greatly. Commonly these charms, are produced from sterling silver. However you can also find them made from gold, murano glass, gemstones and even wood from sustainable sources.
The most recent embodiment of charm bracelets have been predominantly made in Europe, and most notably in Denmark. It was the Danish company Trollbeads that prompted the resurrection of charm jewellery throughout the 70s. These later bracelets were distinguishable from the old ones by their modular construction. This basically meant that charms had been engineered to fit a unique threaded system employed by that specific company. For instance, the charm company Pandora, works with a copyrighted model that means their charms are not going to slide onto competitors' bracelets. Such patented engineering also ensures that charms will fit correctly onto their intended bracelet, enabling them to be swapped around easily.
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.
Similarly the charms are built from numerous resources and this, along with their design, can affect the price greatly. Commonly these charms, are produced from sterling silver. However you can also find them made from gold, murano glass, gemstones and even wood from sustainable sources.
