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Charms and Things

Ever since the first time a prehistoric wayfarer picked up an intriguing rock and carried it for good luck, humans have used charms and things for a variety of purposes.

Their earliest use can be traced back to the latter Neolithic stages of the Stone Age, although the roots of these tiny talismans may go back even farther. Archeologists who were analyzing artifacts in Germany’s Swabain mountains recently unearthed small animal-shaped trinkets carved from the ivory of woolly mammoth tusks. These Ice Age era ornaments reveal that people may have been using charms and things for at least 35,000 years.

Depending on what part of the world their craftsmen called home, Stone Age charms were made of clay, seashells, or animal bones. Materials and styles varied from culture to culture, but their intended purpose of good luck and protection remained constant around the world.

By 3000 BC, Egyptians were using charms and things for a variety of purposes. People during this time ensured guidance and protection by carrying amulets into which symbols representing their personal deities were carved. This extended into their preparations for the afterlife, which included adorning themselves and loved ones with elaborate identification charm necklaces and bracelets. The Egyptians were excellent goldsmiths, and many of their craft techniques continue to be used today.

With the advent of advanced metalworking in the Bronze Age, charms and things became more detailed and finely crafted by people of the Persian, Assyrian, and Babylonian societies. In fact, Babylonians are credited with being the first culture to create charm bracelets as early as 700 BC.

Charms and things continued as valuable religious symbols into the days of the Roman Empire. Christians avoided persecution by secretly identifying themselves with small fish-shaped charms; only by presenting one of these charms were they allowed into religious gatherings. Jews symbolized the closeness with which they held the tenets of their faith by writing their sacred laws on small bits of parchment, and securing them into charms worn on necklaces.

Kings and knights of the Middle Ages used charms and things to curse their enemies and to protect themselves. They also wore charms on their belts to communicate their social status, family history, professional accomplishments, and political affiliations.

As literacy increased during the Renaissance due to the invention of the printing press, superstition faded among the wealthy and educated, resulting in a decreased use of charms and things as talismans. Poorer people continued to wear them for good luck, much as before.

The Industrial Revolution resulted in big changes for jewelry manufacturing. Developments in machinery, the mining of precious metals, and progress in mass production made charms and things available to the common consumer. The middle class was growing in the United States and Europe, and so was the popularity of these newly affordable treasures.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the purposes for using charms and things began to change, due in large part to Queen Victoria’s practice of wearing special locket charms that housed portraits of family members and locks of her husband’s hair. Soon, charms evolved from amulets and talismans into items of personal adornment. Embellished with family crests, lockets, beads, and gems, charms and things became a fashion commodity.

The charm manufacturing industry grew by leaps and bounds following World War II. As servicemen returned home, they wanted to bring their sweethearts souvenirs of their tours in Europe and the Pacific islands. Local craftsmen were quick to oblige, and soon there was a plethora of charms and things representing exotic locales and landmarks. US jewelers soon followed suit, and before long the charm business was booming.

Throughout the 1950s, as charm bracelets became a traditional gift to commemorate such rites of passage as girlhood, graduation, marriage, and babies’ births, the variety of charms and things expanded to encompass every conceivable occasion, holiday, destination, religion, brand character, hobby, alma mater, and interest.

Craftsmanship broadened its scope as well to accommodate the growing market. Now charms and things are made in a variety that is as diverse as the shoppers who buy them. Crafted from precious metals and other base materials, charms can be left plain or decorated with enamels, birthstones, or other embellishments. Some charms feature mechanical details, lending an extra bit of interest to an already special accessory.

As with any fashion item, charms and things have seen their popularity wax and wane over recent decades. They lost favor during the love bead era of the 1970s and during the disco chain era of the 1980s. But the nineties saw an upsurge in the collectibles market – vintage charms continue to net top dollar price tags in auctions and specialty stores – and, by the start of the new millennium, charms and things were firmly back in vogue again.

Whether used to commemorate special occasions, to strengthen generational ties, or, yes, even to boost one’s confidence with a symbol of good luck, charms and things continue to play an active role in the fashions and traditions of cultures around the world.

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