The History of Charms and Charm Bracelets
For thousands of years men and women have been carrying charms as talismans to protect them from evil or for good fortune and riches. Using charms on bracelets appears to have begun in ancient Egypt where the people used them as symbols of their devotion and to take with them to the next world in order that their gods could recognize them and give them their fitting position.
During the early days of Christianity men and women carried a charm fashioned in the form of a fish to identify themselves to one another. During the Dark Ages, charms were used for religious recognition and to indicate the lineage of the possessor. Knights in the Middle Ages carried them to safeguard themselves in combat and the general populace also carried charms. Throughout the Renaissance their use faded, principally by the richer classes, as people became more informed and less inclined to believe in superstitions. However the less well-read poorer people still believed in charms as protection against evil and to give them good luck.
The wearing of charms was revived in the UK by Queen Victoria who wore a gold charm bracelet with lockets containing pictures of her family. This had a huge influence on the wearing of charm bracelets by the general population who began to wear them, not as talismans, but as decorative items. Glass beads, family crests and lockets became the mode of the day. After the end of World War 2 there was a huge outburst of charm wearing as soldiers brought home trinkets and beads to their sweetheart from different regions of the world. Craftsmen in the States carried on the craze and started to make charms and gold charm jewelry. From that time wearing charm jewelry has continued to boom.
In the present day a large range of pendants, earrings and charm bracelets are offered with bracelets being the most prevalent. The precious metals, gold and silver are commonly used though some people prefer bracelets made from beads or pearls with gold or silver charms. Bracelets vary in price from less than $100 to over $1000 and are therefore within everyone’s resources. There are countless types of religious charms portraying saints and a vast range of charms depicting animals and objects including crosses, hearts, ankhs,rabbits etc. One of the most admired are angel charms.
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