The Charm of A Charm Bracelet?

Answer 1

Charm bracelets are inherently feminine. They are normally a simple gold or silver chain with large enough links onto which small charms of varying design, shapes, and sizes can be attached. Typically, these charms represent a collection of special moments or people in the woman’s life.

Women have been wearing some form of the charm for centuries. In fact, they can be traced back to the Neolithic era during which charms were small carved pieces of wood or a stone. In most cases charms were carried or worn to guard against evil spirits or to appease the gods. The first people to wear bracelets with stones or pieces of metal dangling from them were the Egyptian Pharaohs. The bracelets were often used as a representation of their status.

The elite of the Roman Empire and the knights during the middle ages wore charms that would either represent their family’s beginning or signify their rank. Queen Victoria wore charm bracelets merely as a fashion accessory. It became a tradition at the end of World War II for soldiers to bring back charms from both Europe and the Pacific theater for their sweetheart’s bracelets.

The modern version of the charm bracelet really took hold in the 1950s. Often, a charm was added each time a momentous occasion occurred, like turning 16, getting married, or giving birth to a child. The popularity of the charm bracelet then faded but re-emerged in the 1980s and they are still popular today.

Today, women wear charm bracelets for just about any occasion, casual or formal. They are especially popular among pre-teen and teenage girls. Two friends may collect matching charms or a young girl might include a charm with her boyfriend’s initial. Some women may have several charm bracelets, each with a different theme like a collection of cats or souvenirs from vacations.

Charm bracelets can also have significance for generations of women in one family. Some women collect charms that in some way represent the story of their life and then pass that bracelet on to their daughters. With thousands of charms to choose from, it’s easy to put together a unique bracelet.