The History Of Italian Charm Bracelets

Italian charm bracelets feature interlocking links instead of the dangling charms used in traditional charm bracelets.

The rich history of charm bracelets dates back to ancient times, when charms were worn to signify status, ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. Today, charm bracelets are worn primarily for fashion. Italian charm bracelets allow fashion lovers to show off their interests through sleek metal links rather than the dangling trinkets associated with traditional charm bracelets.

Precursors

Traditional charm bracelets date back thousands of years, according to Lewis Jewelers. Ancient Egyptians wore charm bracelets and necklaces to symbolize status, believing that the charms would help the gods guide them into the afterlife, where they would maintain their status ranking after they passed on. Charms and charm bracelets gained and lost popularity at different points throughout history. Social climates (for example, Christians using fish charms to signify their faith to other Christians during the Roman empire) and the rise and fall of certain superstitions (such as amulets to ward off bad spirits) influenced their popularity. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that charm bracelets were worn for fashion, thanks to Queen Victoria, who popularized traditional charm bracelets with dangling lockets, beads and trinkets.

Traditional vs. Italian

While traditional charm bracelets range from a simple chain or band with a few beads or dangling gems to full cuffs of lockets, ornaments and gemstones, Italian charm bracelets have a specific, tailored style. Italian charm bracelets feature modular, rectangular charms, according to the Italian Charms website. Italian charms link together to create a bandlike bracelet without the hanging pieces typical of traditional charm bracelets.

What’s in a Name?

Italian charm bracelets get their name from their country of origin. It is believed that Italian artisans were the first to create this style of charm bracelet by soldering symbolic metal images, words or gemstones into flat metal links, according to JJ Italian Charm Bracelets. The charms can be linked and unlinked to create different patterns and add to or subtract from a bracelet. Although many fine quality Italian charms are in fact made in Italy, "Italian charm" refers to the style. Today, charms are manufactured in other countries, such as China, as well.

Popularity

Italian charm bracelets were invented in the 1980s and gained popularity in Europe when soccer players and fans started wearing them, according to Doggone Charming. The trend then caught on in America and other parts of the world and has grown in popularity. Today many Italian charm fans actually wear multiple bracelets at once to include a wider variety of charms, since the number of charms on one bracelet is limited by wrist size, according to Jewelry Mall. Multiple bands can also be linked together with megalinks, oversized links capable of holding two or more rows of smaller links.

Changing Trends

Although Italian charm bracelets are still popular, another charm bracelet trend has emerged. Pandora bracelets, which are often compared to Italian charm bracelets, feature interchangeable beads, according to Lewis Jewelers. Pandora-style bracelets were invented in Scandinavia in 2002 and rival Italian charm bracelets in style and practicality. However, some Pandora charms do hang from the bracelet, while Italian charms are always neat and symmetrical.

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