About Charm Bracelet's

The charm bracelet was originally an item worn for its supposed magical benefit. It consists of a chain which is worn round the wrist and to which small metal objects are fixed. More recently charms have also been worn because of their colorful beauty and as a way of marking milestones in the wearer’s lives.

Dating back thousands of years ago, there is evidence that Pre-historic man made jewellery charms from colorful stones, shells, animal-bones and wood to adorn themselves. In the past charms have also been worn for identification and as symbols of faith and luck. Medieval knights even wore charms for protection in battle.

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.

Charm bracelets have been the subject of several waves of trends. In the early 20th century, the bracelets of Queen Victoria ignited the next big wave of charm wearing. It was at this stage that charms had a dramatic change of purpose. They went from being practical tools to becoming decorative fashion jewelry. Small lockets, glass beads and family crests that hung on bracelets and necklaces were all the rage.

Lampwork Beads

The end of world war two saw the explosion of charm jewelry as we know it today. Soldiers leaving Europe and islands in the Pacific purchased little handmade trinkets as gifts to bring home to their sweethearts. Native craftsmen fashioned small bits of metal into little replicas of items common to the locale.

Jewelers in the States quickly picked up on the trend to create charms for all occasions. American teenagers then stated collecting charms to record the events in their lives.

The type of charm bracelet we know today as the European charm bracelet really came into fashion from 2002. It is based on a modular bracelet that existed in the eighties called 'Add a Bead' jewellery. This type of fashion bracelet emerged in both Europe and North America. These charm bracelets consist of a chain onto which different beads or 'charms' can be placed. The charms are typically made from silver or glass and can be changed so that the wearer can create an individual look. Their appeal is widespread because of the wide range of beads available.

Glass bead making is an ancient art; it has been practiced for more than 3000 years. The process whereby artisans heated glass using oil lamps to form glass beads is known as lampworking, flameworking or torchworking. Throughout the years bead makers kept their techniques secret. Nowadays, the secrecy is gone and these artisans willingly share their manufacturing techniques.

It's hard to imagine a time when glass wasn't a part of everyday life, Glass objects were reserved for royalty in some cultures. In other societies, ownership of glass was regulated by price - if you could afford the luxury of glass, it was yours. Glass can be cut and polished into faux gemstones, also be stretched and pulled into any shape imaginable. It's no wonder that creative people throughout the world choose to express their artistic talents with glass.

To create glass beads, lamp workers melt narrow rods of glass with the flame of a torch. The molten glass is wound around a mandrel, a thin length of stainless steel. The space occupied by the mandrel becomes a hole through the bead when the bed is slipped away. Turning the mandrel and holding it in different positions allows gravity to help the bead take form, and tools are used to push and pull glass beads into shape.

Lampworking is a skill that takes a great deal of practice and patience. A lampwork bead artist understands the glass and the torch, and must learn how much heat it takes for glass to flow, how much heat can be applied to a bead that's already shaped before it becomes molten again and loses shape, when to add decorative elements and how different colors of glass interact with each other.

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