Italian charm bracelets have brought a whole new look to the world of charms. Instead of dangling from a chain, Italian charms are soldered to flat links that burst on and off a stretchy bracelet. Add charms to each empty slot as your collection grows, and quickly switch charms to match your mood.

Without a doubt, Italian charm bracelets are the hottest rage in charm bracelets today. They are classy, easy to wear, durable and oodles of fun.

I highly recommend JJKent.com for Italian Charm Bracelets. They have thousands of Italian charms to choose from, including many original designs not available at other sites or shops. You can design your own bracelets right online! They have the highest quality and even offer a full year guarantee.
Click here to build a charm bracelet now.


History of Charm Bracelets

Charms go back as far as the Neolithic era where man would pick up an unusual stone or piece of wood and carry it with him to ward off his enemies.

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 drawings, such as figures of gods, man and animals, and they were associated with special powers.

Charm wrist and neck bracelets were not only popular as protective shields and signs of status in this life, they were also worn as ID tags to help the Gods guide the wearer and his/her possessions to the proper status level in the afterlife.

In the Renaissance, general wearing of charms began to lose favor with the wealthy classes as mass produced books emerged and superstitions faded. However, charms and amulets were still widely used by people of lesser means and education. The role of the charm remained relatively unchanged until the early 1900s.

By the 1890's charms had changed to a fashion statement. In Victorian times, when elegant and elaborate jewelry was the style, charm bracelets were standard fixtures. Queen Victoria established the trend by wearing a charm bracelet of small lockets containing family portraits.

Charm bracelets were the most popular in the U.S. in the 1940's and 1950's. Soldiers often picked up charms from every city they visited during World War II, and the fashion trend itself continued into times of peace.

Also in the 1940’s, Gumball Charms were fun and popular charms made of celluloid (an early plastic). These charms and little prizes came out of gumball machines and candy boxes. They were collected by kids and worn on bracelets and necklaces of string and beaded chain (dog tag chain). Many of the themes are common - circu, sports, sailing ships, family members and pets. And there were a number of commercial applications as well, primarily from comic strips: people were buying charms with their favorite characters on them.

By the 1950s, the charm bracelet was a must-have accessory for girls and women. Major rites of passage - 16th birthdays, graduations, weddings, travel and the arrival of children - were all recorded on the links of their bracelets.

The charm bracelet began to disappear during the early 1970s when Disco was in and bare gold chains became the new status symbol. Then, in the mid-1980s, charm bracelets reappeared. New-money heirs uninterested in the old baubles of their dead relatives were liquidating huge estates. Charms that had been out of circulation for decades were showing up in antique stores and flea markets.

The boom in collectibles in the 1990s drove a huge demand for vintage charms and charm bracelets. A gold charm costing $10 in 1950 easily commanded $70 to $80. Vintage mechanical charms (charms with moving parts) often sold for over $100 and were highly prized by serious collectors. Even with the advent of massive buying and selling arenas like eBay, prices for vintage gold charms remain strong and show no sign of decline in the new century

History of Italian Charm Bracelets

Italian charms are made in Italy and China. The Italians invented this modular style of bracelet. They mostly use high quality, hypoallergenic stainless steel for their charm link bases, with 18K gold charms hand soldiered to the links. The Chinese product may or may not have stainless in the base links and the charms are a gold plate. The Chinese product costs less, but the quality reflects the cost.

Charms in general have been use for centuries to represent people, places and things, much as we use photos today. After WWII, soldiers leaving Europe and islands in the Pacific purchased little handmade trinkets as gifts to bring home to their sweethearts. Native craftsmen fashioned small bits of metal into little replicas of items common to the locale. Enterprising jewelers in the States quickly picked up on the trend to create charms for all occasions.

In the 1990’s, the Italians invented a “cleaner” way to wear charms – using links. They don’t make the “tinkling” noise, so can be worn by business women, especially during meetings. They don’t dangle, so can be worn by new moms and children (no loose, choking pieces). Because they are compact, several bracelets may be worn at once, allowing multiple charms to be displayed at a time.
Sizing: For a woman, there are three basic sizes--Small, Medium and Large.

• Small bracelets have 17 charm links
• Medium have 18 links
• Large have 19

You can add or subtract links to make any size, but most women fall into one of the three basic size categories.

Manufacturers (Brands): There is strong competition amongst the Italians companies for market share. Each company produces very similar charm imagery. The best manufacturers are the following: Zoppinni, Boxing, Talexia, Casa D'Oro, Gioielli, Puzzle, Dolceoro, Uno Domani, Eternita, JJ Kent, and Disney. These all produce top quality charms and bracelets. Be wary of unbranded charms. For a few dollars you can buy them at your local drugstore. They are kind of “counterfeit” goods. Don't be fooled, they tend to fall apart rather quickly. The charms from the manufacturers listed above will hold together for the longest time. In general, the manufacturers listed above use the highest quality materials, including; 18K gold, cubic zirconia, fine enamel, stainless steel, genuine and synthetic stones.
The primary difference between companies is charm style and availability. The public constantly wants more of a selection, so the charm producers strive to fill that need.

Interchangeability: All of the Italian charm brands will interchange with one another. The Chinese charms may have some problems with backward images, spelling, etc.

Top selling charms: Hearts and Mom charms as well as the American flag are probably the top selling charms, but picking charms as a gift for anyone is easy. If you know about the person's activities, birth date, nationality or other interests you'll find there's definitely a charm available for them. Find out what they may already have on their bracelet so as not to overlap.

Prices: Italian-made charms begin at around $15 and go up to around $50 per charm. Most enamel charms are around $18 each, stones about $22 each and CZ's around $28.

JJ Kent's Italian Charm Bracelets allow you to express your individuality by assembling and wearing interlocking charms of your choice. With thousands of charms to choose from, in dozens of styles, the combinations are totally endless; nobody will ever have the exact same bracelet as yours. You can even create your own custom charms! Click here to begin building yours. The web site is fun and the "drag-and-drop" interface allows you to see what your bracelet will look like before you even order!

Different types of Italian Charms:

Beatles Italian Charms
Betty Boop Italian Charms
Bird Italian Charms
Birthday Charms
Candy Italian Charms
Countries
Custom Photo Charms
Drinks Charms
Elvis Italian Charms
Fish Italian Charms
James Dean Italian Charms
Jetsons Italian Charms
Marilyn Monroe Charms
Mega Link Italian Charms
Military Italian Charms
Nascar Charms
Ninja Turtles Charms
Pooh Charms
Regional
Sesame Street Italian Charms
Thanksgiving Charms
Wedding charm
National Flags Charms
Animal Photo Charms
Pattern Photo Charms
USA Flags
Care Bears Italian charms
Dennis the Menace
Birthstone Charms
- Birthday, Wedding & Vacation
Candy, Food & Drink Charms
Cartoons (Disney, Peanuts, etc.)
Mothers Day Italian Charms
Disney Italian charms
Hanna Barbera Charms
Children, Moms & Dads Italian charms
4th of July
Hello Kitty Charms
Charm Chicks
Halloween Italian Charms
College Italian Charms
Medallion - College
Christmas Italian charms
Dangle Charms
Flag Charms
Flintstones Italian charms
Endangered Species Charms
Family - Babies & Kids
Glitter & Cubic Zirconia Charms
Hand Painted Charms
Heart Charms
Food & Drink Charms
Hobby Italian charms
Holiday (Easter, Moms Day, etc.) Charms
Looney Tunes Italian charms
Italian Insect Charms
Job & Profession Charms
Laser & Custom Laser
Madeline italian charms
Custom Italian Laser Charms
Muppets Italian charms
18K Gold Puffy
18K Gold (CZ) Charms
Love & Romance Charms
My Kids
Professions Charms
USA & Military
Sports & Hobbies
Letters: Greek Alphabet
Love and Romance Charms
Peanuts Italian charms
Music, Elvis & The Beatles
Photo Italian Charms
Mutant Ninja Turtles Charms
Scooby Doo Italian Charms
Precious Moments Italian charms
Shrek italian charms
Simpsons Italian charms
Sports Italian charms, (balls, teams, etc.)
Baseball Italian Charms - MLB
Football Italian Charms - NFL
NBA Basketball Charms
NHL Hockey Italian Charms
USA Charms & Military Charms
Watches for Italian Charms Bracelets
Western italian charms
Words & Phrases Charms
Zodiac Sign Charms
Southpark Italian charms
Discount italian charms
SpongeBob SquarePants
New Year italian charms
Various Cartoons Italian charms
Chinese New Years
Davy and Goliath Charms
State Flags Italian charms
Cities Charms
States Charms