Like Coco Chanel’s Little Black Dress or simple blue jeans, the charm bracelet is one of those fashion items that’s always been around. Few women’s jewellery boxes are without some variation on the piece, whether it’s a fast-fashion cheapie or a family heirloom handed down through the generations. It’s as classic as pearls yet as ‘now’ as leather leggings — so what is it about the charm bracelet that we find so, well, charming?
People are attracted to the idea of being able to create something that matches their taste exactly,’ says Lisbeth Larson, goldsmith and designer for Danish jewellery super-brand Pandora, which was responsible for creating Pandora’s signature charm bracelets. ‘With charm bracelets you can pick the colours and the charms that reflect your personality and chart different moments in your life,’ she says, ‘It’s a truly one-of-a-kind jewellery experience.’
Pick ’n’ mix
Elizabeth Galton, creative director for Links of London, agrees that personalisation plays a big part in the charm bracelet’s enduring appeal, but also believes it has something to do with the easy mix ’n’ match nature of old and new charms. ‘I’m a strong believer in mixing up vintage heirlooms with modern designs,’ she says. ‘Charm bracelets have very much mirrored current clothes trends in that sense. For example, Links of London gold charms are still an investment purchase but they sit quite happily alongside newer charms like our enamel strawberry, much as a person might combine vintage clothes with contemporary high street.’
Ancient history
Today’s 24-carat gold charms are a long way from charms’ humble origins. The earliest known of which date back to the Neolithic era when early man carried unusual stones or a piece of wood to ward off his enemies.
It was during Egyptian times that the charm bracelet we recognise today began to take shape, and the Egyptians carried it off with typical aplomb. Bracelets made of precious stones and metal formed a part of their elaborate death ritual with the charms being highly personal to the wearer. They related to a person’s standing and position in life, and were worn to ensure that they were properly identified after death and reached their correct place in the afterlife’s pecking order.
Right up until the Middle Ages charms were unisex pieces, worn to represent a family’s standing, but it was during this period that their popularity waned among the educated. Mass-produced books emerged and general knowledge became more publically accessible. This meant superstitions subsided and talismans were no longer deemed necessary to ward off evil.
A royal fan
They stayed out of favour until the early 20th century when Queen Victoria led a comeback trend so widespread that Kate Moss’s modern efforts pale in comparison. This time, charms were worn for looks, rather than luck, and the hugely popular fashion-loving monarch sparked a charm bracelet renaissance. Her fondness for wearing miniature tributes to Albert after his death — such as tiny cameos and lockets containing his hair — even gave rise to the idea of a ‘mourning charm bracelet’.
Deck the halls
The queen’s style guidance didn’t end with adorning oneself in baubles. In 1848 a picture of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children gathered around a Christmas tree appeared in The Illustrated London News. In Germany, decorated trees had been en vogue since the mid-18th century and the royal family had adopted this tradition from Albert’s home nation, but now British people rushed to re-create the look at home. They began buying Christmas trees and trimming them with home-made decorations, delicate angels and beads.
As a mark of respect charm bracelets and tree decorations died out briefly when Queen Victoria died but resurged after WWI, when the security and familiarity of a Christmas celebration appealed to the nostalgic post-war Brits. Decorations became more and more tasteful over time and were passed down through families. Today, Links of London’s Christmas tree charms, are a nod to this time. ‘Our Christmas tree decorations are divine, overblown versions of our jewellery charms,’ explains Elizabeth, ‘And many of them are inspired by great British classics. We introduce three new ones each year, for example this year it’s a Christmas pudding, a robin redbreast and a sprig of holly.’
War time spirit
During WWII charm bracelets experienced another boom. Serving soldiers picked up trinkets from wherever they were in the world – usually inexpensive, hand-made duplicates of curios from where they were stationed, such as miniature Eiffel Towers — and brought them home to their sweethearts as a romantic gesture. One of Elizabeth’s current favourite links charms is an homage to this. ‘I love our envelope charm, which is inspired by the little stamp boxes that men going off to war used to give their sweethearts to keep stamps in so they could write letters. Our version is an envelope in sterling silver with a sterling silver insert you can engrave.’
The silver screen
It was during the 1950s that charm bracelets became firmly entrenched in our style consciousness and it was all down to film goddesses Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Crawford wearing them on the big screen. American manufacturers quickly caught on to this rising trend and began mass-producing charms for every occasion. Teenage girls began to receive bracelets as gifts and added a charm at each pivotal occasion in their lives.
Vintage revival
These ‘rites of passage’ bracelets became particularly collectible during the 90s when the obsession with all things vintage really took off, and when Louis Vuitton showcased charm bracelets on the catwalk in 2001 they found themselves on fashion’s front line once again. Since then they’ve never been away, something Elizabeth and Lisbeth both work at by tirelessly reinventing the piece season after season.
‘Charms are a big part of my business plan for Links of London,’ says Elizabeth, ‘And with increased competition on the charm market it’s important to keep coming up with fresh ideas. We used to launch new charms sporadically but we’ve now started launching them every few months – such as handbags or shoes – and covering a combination of materials and prices. At the moment our story has a strong musical reference and includes lots of fun old-school motifs, such as boomboxes, and Pac-Man.’
Pandora’s box
‘This autumn we launched a new way to do charms,’ affirms Pandora’s Lisbeth. ‘We incorporated plaited leather into the designs, which can be used with the same beads as the metal jewellery and we’re always looking at new variations on how charms can be worn.’ Elizabeth agrees, but is keeping schtum about her upcoming plans. ‘I think charms piled on together on a necklaces are a lovely alternative and we’ve got a new way to wear them launching soon. I can’t give too much away but charms haven’t been taken as far as they can go just yet. Watch this space!’
This article originally appeared in High Life Shop! magazine.
