Charm bracelets are a personal form of expression. They are sentimental little tokens that commemorate a moment in one's life, a magical history tour collected over years and often passed down through generations. For those that haven't yet succumbed to the addiction are some tips on how to assemble your very own masterpiece.
Type & Style of Bracelet
Decide if your bracelet will be crafted of gold or silver charms. Gold will not necessarily be more costly when dealing with vintage or antique charms. The sterling silver charms made in the 1920s - 1960s are some of the most intricately detailed & desirable charms on the market. They are far superior to the little blobs of metal that machines spit out these days. I have many charm bracelets, some gold, & some silver & I love them all.
First choose the bracelet itself. Will your bracelet be single, links, double, or triple? Maybe your preference is a unique & varies style of link. The thickness of the link is important too. If your bracelet will be filled with dainty little charms it's best to stay away from a heavy thick link chain. Likewise a delicate link bracelet will fail if you adorn it with big chunky fobs.
Different clasps offer different levels of protection. For example a box style clasp with a push button latch & safety chain or bar is less likely to come unhooked while on your wrist than a standard spring clasp. There are many choices in clasps, especially when shopping for antique or vintage bracelets.
Bracelet Theme
Pick a theme for your bracelet. It can be mementos from special times in your life, or holidays, travels, animals, beach charms, the possibilities are endless. It's a great creative outlet & way to express your personality.
Some charm themes I chose for my bracelets are 1) all moveable charms; 2) all citrine colored gems (my birthstone); 3) a bunch of different Sagittarius zodiac charms ( my sign of course); 4) a grand tour of Europe, although I've never been it's a dream of mine; and 5) my very favorite is a collection of souvenir Florida attraction charms from the pre-Disney days. I have Silver Springs, Bok Tower, Lion Country Safari, Weeki Wachee, Cypress Gardens, Gatorland, Saint Augustine, Marineland, and Six Gun Territory, to name a few.
Great places to look for vintage charms are flea markets, estate sales, antique shops, and my favorite place - on the internet. Websites like eBay & Ruby Lane have thousands of vintage charms for sale. Be careful to read the descriptions carefully & check the seller's return policy in case the charm isn't exactly what you thought it would be.
Attaching the Charms
After you have purchased some charms, they will need to be attached to the bracelet. There are a few options here. One is to buy jump rings & attach them yourself. This method is nice because it offers flexibility in the placement of charms as you purchase them. The charms can be taken off & reattached easily. This is a risky method however, because the charms will not be secure and can fall off your bracelet when you aren't suspecting it, to be lost forever, which is very bad.
Another option is split rings. These are little spiral rings that look like a key chain. The charm and bracelet are linked into the ring by moving them around the split in the ring. Just like attaching a key to a fob. These are a bit more secure than the first method & also offer flexibility. My problem with split rings is that no matter how careful I am, I can never attach the charm without stretching the ring. Once the ring is out of shape, it doesn't look as good and charms are more likely to slip between the wires and come loose. There is a tool that is designed to be used with split rings that minimizes stretching, but I haven't practiced with it enough to get the hang of it.
Recently I've purchased some jump rings that have a tiny little hook that snaps together & forms a fairly tight bond when attached correctly. They are called Snapeez Locking Rings. These are quite a bit more secure than the basic jump rings or split rings.
My favorite choice is permanent solder attachment by a jeweler. It's a good idea to have a few charms to start with & space them out the way they look best on the chain before committing to soldering. Once they are soldered on the only way to change the placement is to cut the rings & start over. That can get costly. Expect to pay around $5-$7 for each charm when you supply the rings, more if the jeweler provides them. And of course make sure you use a reputable jeweler that is experienced in soldering.
The Result
Now you're ready to put on your bracelet & start jingling. Expect to receive lots of inquiries & complements on your creation. You'll be surprised how addicting charm collecting is. Enjoy - it's lots of fun!
Copyright 2009 Wanda Fitzgerald All rights reserved.
Wanda Fitzgerald is a Florida native and an vintage charm collector who loves to share her adventures in an e-commerce jewelry business with anyone who is interested. If you want more information on vintage charms and charm bracelets visit her blog at http://www.charmchatter.com, and also [http://thecharmcellar.com] to purchase vintage jewelry from her website.
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