Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
July 8, 2010
I've just started collecting vintage charms and charm bracelets and I want to learn as much as I can about them. Any tips?
July 12, 2010
Charm bracelets have been around for many centuries so vintage charm bracelets have become collectible items that also have the potential to be great investments since vintage charms are often made with gemstones and precious metals. Nonetheless, it can be difficult to decipher which vintage charms or charm bracelets belong to which time period. Here you'll find some guidelines that should give you a rough idea of where to start.
Vintage charms from the Victorian Age are usually made of sterling silver. It was also not uncommon for these charms to have gems as well. The popular styles of Victorian times were lockets (which no doubt once contained portraits or locks of hair), coins, swollen hearts, and charms with moving pieces. Shells and stones also often served as charms in the Victorian Age. At the beginning of the twentieth century, elaborate flower and animal charms became very popular as a result of the Art Nouveau period. Throughout the 1920's and 1930's charms took on more geometrical and pointy shapes due to the Art Deco period. At this point in time, jewelry designers started to experiment with different materials for charms to be attached to charm bracelets, including wood, ivory, various forms of plastic, teeth and bones from animals. In the 1950's enamel hearts became very popular charms (Walter Lampl vintage charms from this period can be quite valuable these days). Charm bracelets became more and more thematic, following themes like travel, music, sports, etc.
When collecting vintage charms and vintage charm bracelets it is important to do your homework. There are plenty of books out there where you can learn about the different jewelry designers and the range of styles for vintage charm bracelets. It can also prove to be worth your while to join vintage charm forums on the internet to learn more about the subject. Also, keep in mind that you can collect vintage charms from different sources and create your own vintage charm bracelets.
