Charm bracelets come, for the most part, in three varieties: the traditional sort where charms are permanently attached to the bracelet by a jeweler; the Italian style where interlinking, uniformly-rectangular charms are attached to a stretching band to form a chain; and the modern, European sort where looping charms are threaded onto a central, metal clasp. A charm bracelet can be a piece of bohemian jewelry, emphasizing thrift and artistry, or it can be hugely opulent. The choice is entirely down to the wearer.
Buying a charm bracelet can be a bewildering experience – there are so many different options available that it is often difficult to know where to start. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best advice for shopping for this wonderfully flexible sort of jewelry. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at charm bracelets and see exactly how one should go about buying them.
It starts with the bracelet
A charm bracelet, whatever particular style it might happen to be, consists of a number of components. These components include the charms, which are many and various and can (and indeed should) be replaced regularly; and the bracelet itself – the chain around which the whole thing is built.

Since charm bracelets come in a variety of different styles, it follows that some are incompatible with one another. An Italian-style bracelet, for example, will not be able to hold more contemporary European-style charms.
Moreover, once you’re decided which sort of bracelet you’d like to wear, you must also consider the overall quality of the bracelet itself. While it may be tempting to opt for a cheaper bracelet in the hope of filling it with expensive charms further down the line, this will almost certainly prove a false economy. Cheaper bracelets make use of cheaper metals and so are at greater risk of breaking – and thereby spilling hundreds of pounds worth of charms over the floor. If you happen to be walking past a drain, or in the back of a darkened taxi, this may prove an undesirable development.
Furthermore, cheaper metals are more prone to discoloration over time – what was once a shining silver color might turn into a dull grey within the year. Since charm bracelets are designed to be kept for years to come, it makes sense to invest in something which will last.
Add some color!
Modern charm bracelets are often made from a single metal. Steel, gold and silver charm bracelets very attractive in their own right, they can be accented with the addition of a little color – perhaps in the form of precious stones. Charm bracelets excel when it comes to adding your own personal twist to your jewelry – add a few sapphire-embedded charms to a silver bracelet and you’ll entire change the completion of your jewelry.
The advice for choosing colors for your bracelet is much the same as it is for choosing colors for your interior decorating. There are no hard-and-fast rules, and everyone should feel free to go with whichever colors they favor. But at the same time, there are certainly rules of thumb, which can be used to avoid any glaring color mismatches. This means consulting the color wheel before committing to a purchase, and where possible testing how prospective new charms look on the bracelet.
Make it personal
Charm bracelets afford their wearers a degree of easy customization which is unparalleled in other forms of jewelry. This means that you can add your own twist on your bracelet – as, indeed, you should! What’s the point, after all, of having a charm bracelet if you aren’t going to customize it to reflect your personality? The selection of charms available is so large that you’re bound to find something to represent the things that inspire you. Why settle for anything less?
To conclude
For women of all ages, charm bracelets are a fun way of assembling a beautiful piece of high-quality jewelry. If you go through life collecting a charm every so often, you can quickly bring together a whole host of different mementos to reflect upon in the future.
Your choice of bracelet will depend almost entirely on personal preference, though be aware that some forms of bracelet and charm are incompatible with one another. One should therefore consider carefully before committing.
If you’re feeling especially extravagant, then you might fill one bracelet with charms quite quickly. That being the case, don’t despair – you can always add a second bracelet if you want to expand still further – perhaps you might even add a third. With a charm bracelet, the possibilities are almost limitless!
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