| |
| |
|
Fashion & Style Information |
|
|
|
History of Charm Bracelets
The custom of wearing charm bracelets dates back thousands of years, and though the materials and designs on them have changed, the concept itself has never gone out of style. This form of jewelry initially had a religous function, and dates back to the prehistoric era. According to Elizabeth Florence, president of the Jewelry Information Center, "The first charm bracelets were probably worn by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and Hittites from 500 to 400 B.C. Those charms were made of lapis lazuli, rock crystal and other gems and were inscribed with small designs, such as figures of gods, man and animals. They were immediately associated with special powers." As time passed, charms lost their protective spiritual functions and became fashion jewelry. The 1890's saw a renaissance of charms, especially in Victorian England, where elaborate and intricate jewelry was in vogue. Queen Victoria helped popularize the trend by wearing a charm bracelet of small lockets holding family portraits. WW II caused another revival of charm bracelets in America in the 1940's and 1950's, as soldiers stationed abroad picked up charms as souvenirs in the European cities they visited and brought them home for wives and girlfriends. The fashion trend continued well into peacetime. Charms still remain a popular jewelry item, as personalized keepsakes in an increasingly mass-produced jewelry market. Popular themes include horoscope signs, birthstone charms, travel souvenirs, and family keepsakes. Many women start collecting charms when they are children, and the charm bracelet grows along with them, reflecting hobbies and personal experience. A charm bracelet can hold a small replica of a graduation cap, wedding bells, or lockets with children's photos. Charms are also a popular gift because of their affordable price. An intricate silver charm can be obtained for less than ten dollars, though it is possible to spend hundreds of dollars on a charm made of 18K and set with gems. Italian charms, a genre in and of themselves, do not dangle from a chain like traditional charms. Instead, they are soldered onto flat links which snap onto an extensible bracelet. They are embellished with letters, symbols, pictures or stones, or have enamel pictures painted on them. Charms can be snapped on and off these modular bracelets to create new configurations to match different moods and outfits. They are traditionally made of stainless steel or 18k gold. Italian charms are of the same standard size and the resulting bracelet can be customized to fit every wrist; a small size holds 17 or less links, a medium 18, and a large 19 or more. There are different companies which produce Italian charms, but all brands can be interchanged on the same bracelet. The basic "starter" bracelet of blank links costs approximately five dollars, and the charms cost fifteen dollars and up. China also manufactures Italian charms, and while these are popular (and, as with most Chinese goods, very competitively priced), some consumers report occasional oddities such as reversed images and poor fit. Frank Vanderlugt
MORE RESOURCES:
Fashion-Style - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The New Wedding Band Styles You've decided to tie the knot and now you've got some wedding band shopping to do. Your wedding band is a ring your going to wear all the time so it's important to choose a ring you "really like," one that truly "touches your heart. Disposable Color Contacts - Are They Any Good? The days when color contacts were unbelievably expensive are long gone. As the manufacturing costs go down, disposable color contact lenses appear. What Your Handbags Say About You You can tell a lot about a person from the clothes they wear, but you can also tell a lot about a person simply from the handbags they carry. It's hard to believe, but you can find out a number of things about a women's personality just by looking at the type of handbag she sports. Denim is Big This Season - Dress It Up or Down For all you denim lovers, like myself, this is the season for you to shine. Denim is big this season. Fashion with a Conscience While wristbands have become a fashionable way to show our geopolitics we often forget that we can make an even bigger impact on poverty and the environment through the clothes we choose. Wearing eco fashion is one way we all can make a real difference. Looking Fab at The Beach! It's that time of year when we pack up our bags and head to the beach for the day to enjoy those warm sunrays and the refreshing sound of the lapping water.So what constitutes a good beach wardrobe. Reading Glasses for Fashion and Function It will happen to most of us baby boomers?one day we are easily reading a story in the newspaper and the next day we can't see the words clearly. Don't despair, the large selection of reading glasses available on the market will give you exactly what you need in a style that you want. Calvin Klein 2005 Spring & Summer Collection Calvin Klein - a name we all recognize and a designer who is world renowned for his fabulous fashions. So how did Calvin Klein come to be?As a young boy in the 1940s Calvin was already pre-occupied with designing and sketching fashions for women. How to Dress for the Business World 1. Treat your business clothing as an investment and choose wisely. Sterling Silver Jewelry Today Sterling silver jewelry: silver and gemstone rings, sterling silver earrings, bracelets and pendants are some of the hottest fashion accessories today! Sterling silver jewelry is enjoying an unprecedented popularity with today's fashion conscious public. You know how beautifully sterling silver jewelry complements fashionable clothing and how it sparkles and shines; now here is the rest of the story. Cat Jewelry: Freeing the Inner Feline "Cats are possessed of a shy, retiring nature, cajoling, haughty, and capricious, difficult to fathom. They reveal themselves only to certain favored individuals, and are repelled by the faintest suggestion of insult or even by the most trifling deception. A Cigar Box Purse or Handbag is a Unique Fashion Accessory With a Touch of Old World Charm There's an unmistakable charm about a cigar box purse or handbag. Neat, petite and elegant, and decorated with romantic, quaint and quirky images from a bygone era, these design gems are becoming increasingly sought after fashion accessories. The Mindful Shopper: Learning From Your Trendy Mistakes Are you a fashion trend-watcher?Do you spend a lot of time flipping through magazines and analyzing the wardrobe choices of others? Do you buy trendy items only to despise them-and yourself-later?Trend-watching-and, more precisely, observing our trend-watching-gives us tremendous opportunities to create awareness of the traits we hope we have but are not sure we do. In fact, being frustrated, embarrassed, or depressed that we have succumbed to a trend is a perfect chance to discover what we value most. What to Wear: Summer Dressing in a Business Environment Choosing appropriate clothing for the business environment can be challenging at the best of times. It becomes more difficult when temperatures rise and we feel being fully covered is uncomfortable and downright hot. How to Care For Your Designer Handbag Whether your designer handbag is a Louis Vuitton, a Gucci, or any other designer, it is important to take proper care of it. Proper care will give you many years of beauty and use in return. Celebrating a Special Occasion with Jewelry! How to Buy Jewelry? (Part I) Nothing more personal than our response to color. Color is the new language of passion, and nothing captures it better than distinctively styled jewelry. Turn Boring Reading Glasses Into Fun With Color, Shape And Design! There is no use fighting the fact that at some point everyone needs reading glasses. There is no reason to tie yourself to a boring pair. Stylin' Safety Glasses Are Hot to Look At What do you think of when you hear the words "safety glasses"? Are you picturing the big clear plastic one size fits all glasses that sort of fit over your eyes? I have a pair of really cheap safety glasses that I only wear when I know no one will see me. They don't fit well and are very uncomfortable. Diamond Hoop Earrings: The Divas Choice Men grow cold as girls grow old And we all lose our charms in the end But square-cut or pear-shaped These rocks don't lose their shape Diamonds are a girl's best friend-- from the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"Diamond hoop earrings are perfectly popular these days, thanks to young pop divas like Jennifer Lopez or J-Lo, hiphop diva extraordinaire. J-Lo is also known for spreading the trend of the chandelier earring, and other cascading-style ear ornaments. Diamond Earrings: Superiority and Endurance "A diamond is forever," as the old saying goes. The late actress Marilyn Monroe said it best: "a diamond is a girl's best friend.
|
| home | index |site map |
| © 2006 |
