A guide to the history of Charms and Charm Bracelets

A short guide to the history of Charms and Charm BraceletsBy Creevelia Fine Jewellery Creevelia Fine Jewellery Shop A charm bracelet is an item of jewellery worn around the wrist. It carries personal charms: decorative pendants or trinkets which are signifiers of important things in the wearer's life.The wearing of charms may have begun as a form of amulet to ward off evil spirits or bad luck.Charms are known to go back as far as the Neolithic era (7000B BC) where man would find an unusual stone or piece of wood and carry it with him to help protect him from his enemies.During the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs, elaborate jewellery made of precious metals and gemstones were created. The first recognizable charm bracelets appeared during this time.The Ancient Egyptians believed that malevolent forces were all around them, they could take the form of dangerous animals, illness, pestilence, natural disasters or known enemies. To ward off and protect themselves against these forces, ancient Egyptians wore amulets or charms, around their necks, ankles, wrists.The lives of the people of ancient Egypt were short by today's standards - 30 to 40 years was average. As their time on earth was so short, they fervently believed in the afterlife and a great deal of effort was spent on preparing for their prosperity on leaving this life.Charm bracelets played a significant role in the preparation process. Charms or amulets were worn from birth through death, the precious stones and metals used to create the charms were just as important as the images they represented. The power of the gem coupled with the symbolism on the amulet gave powerful protection against harm and evil both on earth and in the future afterlife. In order to give an amulet its power, it had to be created in strict accordance with instructions contained in the Book of the Dead. This would then allow the god

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