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Article contributed
by www.the-way-we-were.com,
the largest online catalog of fine estate and antique jewelry
on the Web. Over one hundred antique charms are available for
purchase through their website.
| Charms,
usually worn in multiples on a link bracelet, were of
great personal significance to the woman of the 1930s,
40s and 50s. Her charm bracelet was a chronicle of her
life; a time capsule of her loves, her interests, her
travels, her experiences. These precious objects told
her individual story, and preserved it for following generations.
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| She
probably received her first charm as a young girl; perhaps
a ballerina or a flower. Her teenage years may have seen
the additions of a love token from a sweetheart, a souvenir
from a school trip, a jeweled mortar board for graduation.
Charms commemorating her engagement, wedding, first home,
children--all the major milestones of her life--followed. |
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| The
mid-century vogue for travel enabled her to see
much more of the world than her mother and grandmother
had. A small cruiseship told of her honeymoon trip to
the islands; an Eiffel Tower charm of a spontaneous weekend
in Paris. She spent many a cocktail party explaining the
numerous exotic mementos on her wrist. |
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| Perhaps
a little pearl typewriter signified that, like many women
of her day, she enjoyed the independence of having a job
outside the home. She also enjoyed sports (golf and tennis)
and was well-versed in the arts (particularly painting
and theatre). She often received jeweled representations
of her interests and hobbies as gifts. |
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| Other
charms were added to her bracelet simply for their beauty.
In contrast to the flat, stamped charms of modern times,
vintage charms are three-dimensional, highly detailed,
and often jeweled-- tiny works of art in their
own right. They stood as testament to her exquisite taste,
as would a beautiful painting or vase.
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A
new vogue for vintage charms is developing,
perhaps in part due to fashion's focus on individuality.
Women today often wear a single charm from their collection
on a bracelet, or as a pendant. Collections are often
beautifully displayed in a shadow box, or hung from
ribbons on a bulletin board, mirror or frame.
Vintage
charms make wonderful, very personal gifts. At a
recent wedding shower, each guest gave the bride an
antique charm representing one of her (or the couple's)
interests or experiences; they all shared the cost of
a charm bracelet. The bride wore it on her wedding day.
Another bride did the opposite, using antique charms
as personalized thank-you gifts for her bridesmaids.
Yet another woman treats herself each birthday to a
charm with some relevance to the preceding year of her
life; she intends to start the same tradition for her
young daughters.
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