Italian charm bracelet
An Italian charm bracelet is a series of individual modular links hooked together on a stretchy band to form a single charm bracelet. A typical Italian charm bracelet comprises eighteen Italian charm links. Each link features an Italian charm face (design or image) soldered onto the actual Italian charm link.
History
Designed in Italy, the Italian charm craze caught on and even soccer players wore these bracelets featuring their country's flag. In the 1990s, American tourists noticed the style and brought it back to the United States where the fashion caught on.[1]
How they work
A starter Italian charm bracelet consists of eighteen blank links. In order to create a personalized Italian charm bracelet, these blank links are replaced with individually designed Italian charms. Italian charms are flat, modular links that hook together. While traditional charms dangle, Italian charms feature individual pieces soldered flat onto the surface of the link.
Italian charms are compatible across brands due to standardized sizing. The modular design means that the charms on an Italian charm bracelet are interchangeable. An individual Italian charm can be switched out for a new look or to better suit the mood or changing interests of an individual.
Styles
An Italian charm bracelet can be assembled in many styles. Italian charms can be grouped to follow a theme such as family, a specific color, career or hobby. Also, since there are many types of Italian charms, an Italian charm bracelet can feature a combination of styles. This may include laser Italian charms, photo Italian charms, hand-painted Italian charms, authentic licensed Italian charms, deluxe-link Italian charms and dangle Italian charms among others.
Materials
Italian charms are most often crafted using stainless steel backing and a gold-plated or 18-karat gold charm face. The face of the charm (which features the design) is soldered or glued to the stainless steel link. The charm itself may feature synthetic or genuine gemstones as part of its design. modern examples of charm bracelets are the brand Pandora (jewelry)
References
- Mendo, Oscar. "A Brief Look at Italian Charm Bracelets". Glamulet. Retrieved 23 December 2015.