Designed in Italy, the Italian charm craze caught on and even soccer players wore these bracelets featuring their country flag. In the 1990s, American tourists noticed the style and brought it back to the United States where the fashion caught on and has remained popular.
Italian charms became popular in the United States in the 1990s, but their history goes back much further. In ancient Egypt charms were used for identification and as symbols of faith and luck. Charms also served to identify an individual to the gods in the afterlife. Medieval knights wore charms for protection in battle. Charms also were worn in the dark ages to represent family origin, religious and political convictions.
In England during the reign of Queen Victoria, charms began to be worn purely as fashion accessories. First worn by the queen, the trend spread to the British aristocracy. Charms of family crests and small lockets dangling from bracelets were the rage.
World War II soldiers leaving Europe bought charm trinkets from local merchants to make gifts upon their return to the United States. Charms made another comeback in the 1950s. They were collected as a keepsake to commemorate rites of passage such as weddings, birthdays and graduations. By the 1980s, these charms were showing up as antiques and brought about another craze in collecting. The demand was created for contemporary designs and availability, paving the way for modern Italian charms
visit Guide to Italian Charm Bracelet Instructions
How to Assemble an Italian Charm Bracelet
Italian charms became popular in the United States in the 1990s, but their history goes back much further. In ancient Egypt charms were used for identification and as symbols of faith and luck. Charms also served to identify an individual to the gods in the afterlife. Medieval knights wore charms for protection in battle. Charms also were worn in the dark ages to represent family origin, religious and political convictions.
In England during the reign of Queen Victoria, charms began to be worn purely as fashion accessories. First worn by the queen, the trend spread to the British aristocracy. Charms of family crests and small lockets dangling from bracelets were the rage.
World War II soldiers leaving Europe bought charm trinkets from local merchants to make gifts upon their return to the United States. Charms made another comeback in the 1950s. They were collected as a keepsake to commemorate rites of passage such as weddings, birthdays and graduations. By the 1980s, these charms were showing up as antiques and brought about another craze in collecting. The demand was created for contemporary designs and availability, paving the way for modern Italian charms
visit Guide to Italian Charm Bracelet Instructions
How to Assemble an Italian Charm Bracelet