Charms—those small, decorative pendants designed to attach to necklaces, bracelets, even earrings—have had a long and varied life in the jewelry trade. And like all classic styles, they continue to evolve with the times.
Today, the charm obsession has taken on a new dimension in light of the high price of gold. Even though the precious metal has slipped from its all-time peak of $5,589 per ounce in January, it’s still trading at historic highs. Many designers showing in Las Vegas during jewelry week responded to the environment in unexpected ways. Instead of embracing silver, or scaling back to 14k or even 10k gold, they went all in on charms—mostly miniature styles in 18k gold, set with diamonds or colored stones.
The charm-as-affordable-gold flex is merely the latest personality shift for one of jewelry’s most enduring styles. Considered talismans by the ancient Egyptians, charms became sentimental keepsakes during the Victorian era when Queen Victoria popularized gold bracelets strung with miniature portraits and charms to commemorate loved ones. In the boom years following World War II, trinkets and souvenir charms representing everything from favorite vacation destinations (think palm trees) to hobbies (golf clubs) gave women a way to convey their personal affiliations—and jewelers a seemingly limitless revenue stream.
The fact that charms allow people to tell their personal stories remains their No. 1 appeal. Simply look to the narrative power of Dorian Webb’s charm necklace, an homage to Harriet Tubman, whose use of native plants such as sassafras and lotus root reflected her skills as a self-taught botanist. “Each charm references a resource Harriet would have relied on as a lifeline to protect, sustain, or restore those traveling with her,” Webb tells JCK. “In honoring her botanical knowledge, the charms invite the wearer to see their own daily actions as the foundational triumphs they are.”
The hexagonal aquamarine charm, featured above, symbolizes Harriet’s navigation skills through wetlands, forests, and by the stars, Webb says. A motif from Webb’s Wisdom collection, it frames life experience as a guiding force. Charming doesn’t begin to describe its appeal.
Top: Liberté chain link bracelet in 18k yellow gold, $4,600, with Liberté charms starting at $1,588; Clara Chehab
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