Women know them by not only sight but sound, that little “jingle” on a woman’s wrist is synonymous with the charm bracelet. A charm bracelet is truly a treasure to the woman who wears it. Charm bracelets are full of milestones and memories from graduations, marriages, and births to vacations, travel, and faith. Charm bracelets are as individual as the woman who wears them. Whether quirky or classic, girlie or glam a charm bracelet is an outward display of who you are.

The wearing of charms is not a recent trend. People of ancient cultures would wear charms made of gold and gems as symbols of their gods or as good luck charms to ward off evil. During the 1800’s it was popular to have miniature paintings of loved ones to wear as jewelry . Victorians from the era loved to use codes to symbolize love affairs. They would wear bracelets or necklaces with specific gemstones to spell out names or affirmations. It wasn’t until World War II that we began to see what is considered a modern charm bracelet.

During WWII, woman would wear military charms in support of the war, while other wore charms that represented those fighting and memorialized those who lost their lives. These bracelets gave people hope and a daily reminder of what their sacrifices were for. However, during the 1950’s the trend of wearing charm bracelets became truly fashionable. Woman of all walks of life were able to express their personal taste. Charms and bracelets were made of fine gold and platinum, while less expensive versions were made of sterling silver and 9 or 10K gold. Woman used their charm bracelets to remember vacations, hobbies, travel, anniversaries, birthdays, pets; the list goes on and on. The diversity of charm bracelets was unbelievable. It was also very popular to start charm bracelets for young girls. Their charm bracelets would memorialize their movement from childhood to adolescence and even their adulthood.

Famous celebrities like Lucille Ball, Phyllis Diller, Ginger Rogers, Mrs. Harry Winston, and the style icon Jackie O all wore unique charm bracelets that reflected their personalities. Unfortunately, the charm bracelet became less popular in the 70’s and by the 80’s they were completely out. Woman’s taste in jewelry had changed. But, there has been a recent revival in charm bracelets.

Within the last decade, retro looks of varying styles have made comebacks and so has the charm bracelet. What made them popular year ago is what makes them popular today, the ability to have something tangible that represents our memories and the ability to be truly unique in personal style. Today’s charm bracelets can be conversation starters as well as heirlooms to pass on to future generations. The “jingle” is back!