Aug31

*charmed.

Posted on by
Standard

did you ever own and proudly wear a charm bracelet?

mine is long gone, but i still remember it fondly

i would save up money for charms, or ask for them as gifts

deciding what part of me i most wanted to display.

 i can only remember three charms that were on my bracelet:

a book – because i always loved books

a horse – because i went to horse camp one summer

a heart – because i was always a fan of love.

( two of the three i would still choose today, and i might swap a pencil for the horse)

i loved wearing it, sharing charm stories with friends, and listening to it jangle on my wrist. 

if you had to pick just three charms that would describe you today, what might they be?

—

“good memories are like charms…each is special.

you collect them by one by one,

until one day you look back and discover they make a long, colorful bracelet.”

-james patterson, american author of 200+ books

 

—

*Throughout many different cultures across history, charms were often used as symbols of faith, allegiance, and amulets to ward off evil spirits. The more modern chain-link bracelet with charms is thought to have come onto the scene sometime in the Victorian era. A charm bracelet is a type of bracelet which carries personal jeweled ornaments or “charms”, such as decorative pendants or trinkets. The decorative charms usually carry personal or sentimental attachment by the owner.

 

 

—

image credit: pinterest vintage

71 responses »

  2. My mum had a very full charm bracelet. She left it to my wife when she died, but Julie has never worn it. It is now worth quite a bit of money, as it is all gold. To be honest, it would make sense to sell it, but we are still undecided about that.
    Best wishes, Pete.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  6. Book – because I love reading, pen because i love writing and a pair of walking boots [I have a pair of Dr Martin boots made from a silver teaspoon on my noticeboard] because i love reading.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  7. I loved charm bracelets when I was younger! I have a Pandora now and collect charms based off life events. For example when I graduate from my masters degree I’ll get the graduation cap charm. My current favourites I have are the Aquarius symbol, heart, paw print!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  9. I am sure my old charm bracelet is around somewhere. I made a new one when my parents died. On it is the guard ring that my mother wore between her wedding band and engagement ring. I have a semi precious stone my sister gave me. And a starfish that represents my brother (he is on the East coast). On my other wrist is my father’s watch. Wherever I go, my family is with me.

    Like

    Reply ↓

  10. This brought a lot of memories back for me although I, too, no longer have a charm bracelet. My bracelet wasn’t terribly full but each charm was picked with significant meaning. The three charms I would pick today are three times that were on that bracelet. When was the musical note because my mom and I shared to the back to the music. One was a charm that said Florida because my parents retired there and I made multiple visits to them which were always special. The third was a little stack of three books – also a passion I shared with my mother which still is a passion today.

    Thank you for this visit down memory lane.

    Like

    Reply ↓

  11. I have some nostalgic trinkets that hang on my Dad’s old watch & wristband … a wedding ring … silver bullion pendant (a silver anniversary gift) … and a little brass rabbit (I was born in the Year of the Rabbit – 1951) … Oh, I don’t wear it, the watchband items are quite chunky and the old watch doesn’t work …

    Like

    Reply ↓

  14. Hi Beth,
    I have to look for my charm bracelets. One had a plane, a globe, the US flag, the Brazilian flag, and I am not sure what else, but it was definitely travel inspired. The other I am not sure… but I am curious to rediscover it now.
    I do love yours, and I think at some point I had those charms too. I am a horse in the Chinese Zodiac.
    Wishing you a blessed weekend!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  16. I still have mine, a gift from my parents at age 18. Must remember to tell my granddaughter it’s real gold. It carries my sorority pledge pin (and my ex’s), a tiny key, an interlocking CU (Colo. Univ.), and several others I can’t remember offhand.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  18. I collected charms for my daughter for a charm bracelet when she was young. She outgrew the bracelet and we bought her a new one. But we never transferred the charms. There are tiny do-it-yourself loops, but she wasn’t bothered with it, and my eyes couldn’t do it either.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  23. I still have mine. Like you, I got my charms one at a time, for gifts, or when I had the money to buy one. I had a couple of charms that opened, or moved. A chicken, sitting on her nest and when you picked her up, the babies were all there. 🙂 I loved it…love it still, although I never wear it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  24. I don’t think I ever had one though my mother did. She would get a new charm for various occasions. A year or so before my husband died, he bought our god-daughter a charm bracelet. Hmmm… I wonder if she still has it or added to it?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  28. I love my charm bracelet, Beth. I bought it for my 50th birthday. For the year before my birthday, I saved every $5 note I received as change. It was amazing how much I gathered. Every charm I bought, or have been given, means something significant. It now has 3 big decade numbers on it, stones for children and stars and hearts for grandchildren. I love wearing it, but don’t often as the charms catch on my clothes. I have to be selective in what I wear if I want to wear it. Of course, I bought it long ago. I could never do it now as I rarely use cash for any purchases so would never be able to save up any $5 notes received as change – no change is given in credit card purchases. Also, I bought it not long before the Pandora bracelets became available. I think I would have rathered one of those, as I don’t think their charms would catch. But 2 charm bracelets would be too indulgent.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

  31. I still have mine from when I was a child and my Moms. My mother’s was given to her by my Dad as a wedding even though they had rings. Hers a princess charm when I was born.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

Leave a comment