Charms and pendants have been around for centuries. From ancient cultures to the resurgence of the popularity of charm jewelry in the 2000’s to now, these little pieces of jewelry never really lost their charm. Though there have been bumps in their popularity such as in the 1950’s and 1960’s when young women would collect charms for their personalized charm bracelets to mark events and memories, they have always enjoyed some level of popularity. Charms and charm bracelets and pendant necklaces remain a great option for personalized gifts.
It is a very versatile form of jewelry because you can add or change the charms & pendants according to occasion, taste or mood. I’ve included samples of the many choices available at the end of this post. Including different types of charm bracelets and the charms they use – link charm bracelets, snake charm bracelets and Italian charm bracelets and even a charm necklace.
The difference between charms and pendants
Both charms and pendants can be “detachable jewelry. A pendant is an ornament for a necklace and charms are worn on bracelets. A charm is generally lighter and smaller than a pendant. They can be worn interchangeably on bracelets or necklaces if the size of the trinket is not an obstacle. Too large a pendant worn on a bracelet could be awkward.
Charm Bracelets as Personalized Gifts
Ashley Greene wears a vintage Chanel charm bracelet gifted to her on her birthday in 2011 by Joe Jonas. Though it’s not known if this was personalized jewelry, the bracelet is vintage so that would add to it’s uniqueness. And charms with particular meaning or engraved charms can be added to vintage charm bracelets to make them truly personalized charm bracelets.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is seen here wearing a gold charm bracelet that was given to her as a personalized wedding gift by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The personalized gift has a charm that bears both of their monograms. The single gold disc that dangles from the bracelet has a ‘C’ for Catherine and a coronet engraved on one side and a ‘C’ for Camilla and a crown engraved on the other.
Even though Kate Middleton and Ashley Greene were gifted their personalized charm bracelets in 2011, they still make great personal jewelry gifts. Charms and pendants add an individualized touch to jewelry. These are great options to give a heart-felt and sentimental gift to cherished people in our lives and to commemorate important events and hallmarks.
Personalized Charm Bracelets – Meaningful Charms and Pendants
Charms and pendants can have special meaning. For example, charms and pendants can feature a special city or cherished pet or symbolize an interest such as a sport or hobby. A necklace can have an engraved or personalized pendant and a bracelet can be customized with its own set of meaningful charms to make personalized charm bracelets. It’s no wonder then that these little trinkets of jewelry are still popular today.
The variety of designs and materials used to make charms is expansive. There are fashion jewelry charms and fine jewelry charms. Gold, silver, Murano glass, and Murano millefiori glass and gemstone charms to name a few.
Starter Charm Bracelets
There are generally four types – the traditional link charm bracelets and bangle bracelets that uses spring-clip or clasp charms – there’s snake charm bracelets that use bead charms and Italian charm bracelets that are composed of modular links as the charms.
For most bracelet types, starter charm bracelets are available. That way you can select charms that have a special meaning for a personalized gift. You can stick with one brand or find charms that are compatible with the type of charm bracelet you buy.
Link Charm Bracelets
Since link charm bracelets are most common and the traditional type, there are an abundant number of the type of charm they use (clasp type charms) to choose from. (These are the type of bracelets worn by Kate Middleton and Ashley Greene.)
Snake Charm Bracelets
Pandora has a great number of bead charms which they offer for their signature snake style bracelets. You can find bead charms from different brands which can be used with another brand’s snake charm bracelet – just check the diameter to make sure it will fit.
Italian Charm Bracelets
Italian charm bracelets are composed of modular links – this means you would adjust the number of link charms in the bracelet to fit the wearer’s wrist.
Charms as Pendants for Necklaces
Pandora has a charm necklace and you have this as an option for that very personalized gift. Another option is name plate or engraved pendant necklaces.
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