Gransnet forums

Style & beauty

Charm bracelets....

(21 Posts)
CanadianGran Wed 30-Mar-22 19:12:57

For a frivolous thread; do you have a charm bracelet, and what charms do you have. Do they bring back memories? Tillytrotter inspired me with her clean bracelet in the washing soda thread.

I was given a silver charm bracelet at around age 12, with a plane charm to mark our first flight. Other charms include:
a small map of Jersey (the first trip on a plane)
Eiffel tower
Star of David (a friend went to Isreal)
Scorpio sign
Montreal charm (sister went)
Lourdes blue enamel charm (my mother got in in the 50's)
Horse - just because I loved horses as a young teen

This 70's bracelet will be worn once in a while, but the plane keeps getting caught in sweaters, so I have to be careful. I still love the jangle sound when I do wear it!

I also have a Pandora bracelet with quite a few charms, some given by my children. This gets worn quite a bit, especially in the summer when I look better in silver.

I'm also thinking of starting a bracelet with single earrings turned into charms... I have quite a few!

tanith Wed 30-Mar-22 19:18:19

My children bought me a pandora bracelet and charms for birthdays, I don’t wear it very often now.

Trisha57 Wed 30-Mar-22 19:19:19

I was given a gold charm bracelet for my 21st birthday by my (then) fiance (sorry, can't work out how to put the accent on the "e"!) It has 32 charms on it but would take forever to describe all of them. The most precious ones are a gold tortoise (because I have had my tortoise for many years since I was a child), a kitten with a ball for when we had our first cat, a speedway rider on his bike with spinning wheels (my OH took me to speedway for our first date!) and a gold heart from OH. Also a wishing well from one of my DDs.

Ilovecheese Wed 30-Mar-22 19:25:36

I was given one by Mr Cheese at my request about ten years ago. I just had a fancy for one. I have had great fun choosing charms,which were inexpensive because a lot of people were changing their old charm bracelets for Panduro ones. I originally thought I would just have a careful selection of charms but got totally carried away and have a very, shall we say, eclectic collection.

Ilovecheese Wed 30-Mar-22 19:27:15

I think my favourite charm is a gypsy caravan that hinges open to reveal a person reading a crystal ball.

TillyTrotter Wed 30-Mar-22 19:28:34

I got mine as a bracelet with one charm on my 50th Birthday and since the have been bought additional ones.
On mine is a:
Solid cat
Thin, flat cat
Miniature handbag
Feather
A pearl and 2 tiny rings hanging in a cluster
T-bar shoe
Engraved heart
Miniature matryoshka doll
Filigree half shell with a ruby in
I’m still adding to it.
All were bought by people who know me well and what I like.

We all have so many memories on one chain don’t we? ?

Yammy Wed 30-Mar-22 21:04:29

My grandfathers watch chain was made into one for me. It has lots of charms that were given by grandparents but I never wear it. Too frightened I loose it. We were burgled and luckily it was left as it had slipped under the drawer liner. Unfortunately they did find the gold Rugby medal I had inherited.

CanadianGran Wed 30-Mar-22 21:08:47

Yammy, please enjoy your jewellery! You can ask a jeweller to add a chain-clasp as added protection.

Georgesgran Wed 30-Mar-22 21:10:46

I bought DD2 a Pandora bracelet and charms for most occasions - when she graduated, married, bought a house and dog etc. Its full, but she doesn’t wear it now.
I’ve a Tiffany bracelet from 5th Avenue and buy a charm when I’m in NY - an apple, snowflake, Christmas tree etc, but I don’t plan to overload it.

gmarie3 Thu 31-Mar-22 00:08:58

I have mine, my mom's and my grandma's and am trying to think of a fun way to make a necklace with my favorite charms. I used to get one every birthday and Christmas and each was meant to have a meaning relevant to my life somehow: a violin because I played in the school orchestra, a lawn mower (the old hand-push type) because mowing the lawn was one of my chores, a bicycle with spinning wheels I received after learning to ride, etc. There's even a little toilet with a lid that goes up because I plopped backward into the bowl as a toddler when my dad was chasing me! grin

BigBertha1 Thu 31-Mar-22 06:15:30

I did have one but the burglar took it.

25Avalon Thu 31-Mar-22 08:54:55

I have a silver one given me on my 21st birthday. One day I wore it to an event where I had to shake hands with a man with an extremely strong hand grip. I grimaced with pain as the charms were ground into the palm of my hand. grin

Yammy Thu 31-Mar-22 09:11:43

BigBertha1

I did have one but the burglar took it.

So Sorry for you. They take away your memories, don't they. They took my engagement ring and my gran's keeper ring and granddad's solid gold Rugby medal he had won the year my father had been born. It would mean nothing to them. Along with a lot of things DH had bought me. The police did say I was lucky I was at work as they were quite violent.flowers

Oldnproud Thu 31-Mar-22 09:12:57

Ilovecheese

I think my favourite charm is a gypsy caravan that hinges open to reveal a person reading a crystal ball.

I've just been to check my own charm bracelet, to see if the gypsy caravan on mine is exactly the same as yours.
I don't think it is - it's hard to tell exactly what the figure in mine is holding, but I think it's a bucket.

I think that is my favourite charm too, though unfortunately its roof will no longer stay closed.

I can't remember when I last cleaned the bracelet and charms blush. It's such a faff. One of the charms is a miniature passport, with paper 'pages' inside, so I can't dunk the whole thing in cleaner without ruining that.

TillyTrotter Thu 31-Mar-22 09:34:44

Could you take just that charm off and do the rest Oldnproud ? ?
The gypsy caravan one sounds delightful!

Chewbacca Thu 31-Mar-22 09:35:38

I also was given a silver charm bracelet for me 21st and was then given charms for birthdays etc. My MIL gave me a very beautiful, but incredibly delicate, peacock charm. It's studded with sapphires and emeralds and has tiny rubies for eyes. Sadly quite a few of the stones have fallen out over the years. My favourite charm is the wedge of cheese that opens to reveal a tiny mouse sat inside. I haven't worn the bracelet for decades; too heavy, too noisy and it catches on everything.

BigBertha1 Thu 31-Mar-22 09:42:40

The worst thing the burglars too when they lifted my jewelry box was my SRN badge- I never got over that- the rest my lovely DH has replaced over the years .

TillyTrotter Thu 31-Mar-22 09:44:27

It’s the things of sentimental value that hurt the most isn’t it Bertha ?

Ladyleftfieldlover Thu 31-Mar-22 09:45:53

My parents gave me a beautiful silver charm bracelet for my 21st. It has a multitude of charms on it. OH worked abroad a lot and often bought me charms such as a giraffe, rhino etc. the 21st charms included a car (I had just passed my test) and a wonderful bull (I am Taurus). There are lots of baby related charms. My favourite is for when I had my third - a shoe which opens to reveal a woman and three children. There are lots from Australia and from Seychelles. I think the last charms I got were to commemorate my 50th (an orb) and finally getting my OU degree (an OU symbol). The whole thing is too heavy to wear now. I am leaving it to my daughter.

nandad Thu 31-Mar-22 09:49:41

I was given a gold one by my dad on my 16th birthday and he added to it each birthday and Christmas. Bizarrely one of the charms is a cat in a basket. I don’t, and never have, liked cats! Too many of the charms catch so I don’t wear it, I have thought about taking some off and wearing them on a chain instead.

Esmay Thu 26-May-22 13:22:45

I love charm bracelets, but I don't have one .
The one that I was promised was given to a relative ,who has never worn it .
Never mind !
On my list ...
I'll enjoy looking in second hand jewellers for the charms .