History of Charms

Charms, also known as amulets, have been popular for thousands of years. As far back as 5000 B.C., ancient Egyptians wore bracelets with amulets to ward off bad luck and evil. During the Victorian era, charms were given as tokens of love and friendship or as memorials. Queen Victoria popularized charms by wearing a bracelet with small lockets containing family portraits. Charms and charm bracelets first gained popularity in the U.S. during World War II. American soldiers often brought their wives, sweethearts, and mothers charms representing the places they had been stationed or visited while serving overseas. Today, sterling silver charms represent the wearer's personality and special interests, such as family, pets, cooking, hobbies, fashion, sports, or religion. The lasting appeal of sterling silver charms comes from their unique ability to commemorate special life events - weddings, births, graduations - and become a gift that can be added to again and again over the course of a person's life. They also very quickly become cherished family heirlooms when passed down from mother to daughter to granddaughter.

Once Upon a Time
Charms go back as far as the Neolithic era where man would pick up an unusual stone or piece of wood and carry it with him to ward off his enemies. Elaborate jewelry made of precious stones and metals emerged during the age of the Egyptian Pharaohs. It was during this time that the first recognizable charm bracelets and necklaces first appeared.

Like people of many ancient civilizations, the citizens of ancient Egypt lived very short lives by today's standard - 30 to 40 years on average. With so little time on earth, they obsessively prepared for a prosperous life after death. Charm bracelets played a significant role in the preparation process. Charm wrist and neck bracelets were not only coveted as protective shields and signs of status in this life, they were also worn as ID tags to help the Gods guide the wearer and his/her possessions to the proper status level in the afterlife. Kind of an "if found, please return to" note from home.