Charm Bracelets
Did you know that charm bracelets were used to ward of enemies before it became a fashion accessory? The Neolithic or New Stone Age man carried either a stone or a piece of wood to ward off his enemies. Sounds a little strange doesn't it?
It was not till the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs that these objects were turned into items to adorn the human body. Egyptians, according to historians and scientists didn't live that long. Their life span was till around 40 years of age. So their lives were also spent in collecting riches for the next life. Charm bracelets were a form of identification to help the Gods to guide them. It was also a way of proclaiming their status in their community. In the Egyptian era, as was in the New Stone Age, charms were worn for protection as well.
People were identified by the charm that they wore. And a good example of this are the early Roman Empire Christians, who wore the sigh of the fish around their necks, tucked under their garments. The fish was the symbol of recognition for Christians.
Charms are worn in many ways, as charm bracelets and also as necklaces. A charm bracelet is an item of jewelry that contains pendants or charms which dangle attached to the bracelet and are worn around the wrist. These charms are considered to be 'luck charms' as well. These pendants or charms can tell an observer what type of a person he or she is by looking at the charm bracelet. One can also tell what things are most important in that person's life by the charms in the bracelet.
Who was it that started this charm bracelet fashion you may ask. It was none other than Queen Victoria, who hailed from the European noble class that started of this new fashion trend. Charm bracelets were also designed using tokens brought in by soldiers who were returning from World War II. In the year 2002 the new trend of European charm bracelets emerged captivation Europe and also North America.
Charm bracelets now come in various colors, gold, silver and patterns and have from 1 to around 6 (or even more at times) charms attached to it. Here is an interesting fact. In Italian charm bracelets the charms do not dangle, here the charms lay flat on the wearers wrist and interlocked to the next charm. One would have to really look at the two different bracelets to understand this difference!
So there we go, lots of mixed information about charm bracelets. Interesting isn't it? Doesn't it make you want to go out and get one for yourself?