The Fun And Trendy Holding Pins Charms

Everyone loves charms! One of the popular charms today is the holding pins charms. You may wonder about how charms can to be. Charms have been around for centuries and this particular type of jewelry dates all the way back to the Neolithic era when early man would carry around pieces of rock.

The days of the early Egyptians brought to the world a civilization that had expert jewelry crafters. Precious gem stones and metals such as gold were used extensively for jewelry, carvings, statues and other items.

The creation of the actual jewelry charm, much like the holding pins charms came about because of the very short life span of ancient societies. Although we can now live to the ripe old age of ninety or beyond, earlier man only lived into their thirties; forty was considered to be very old. The idea of being on Earth for such a short amount of time spawned the notion that items such as charms could help people live longer, fend off enemies or illness and when it was time to die charms could help aid a person to reach the next plane of existence for their soul. Although they did not contain holding pins charms, the early Egyptians did wear very elaborate necklaces and bracelets with charms on them. Many charms were used as a type of “dog tag” so that the Gods would know who it was that passed over.
In regards to jewelry, Rome must always be mentioned! The Roman Empire would keep charms under their clothes to show who they were. The Christians would use those charms as identifiers when entering secret places of worship. Many charms at that time were actually hollowed out pieces of jewelry that could hold small pieces of paper with important writings on them.

During the Middle Ages, charms continued to be popular and they were worn by royalty and also by the knights. Again, it was not yet time for holding pins charms; however the Middle Age Civilizations believed that their charms held magic powers.
Charms remained popular and in 1849 a man by the name of Walter Hunt created the safety pin. One interesting fact about his creation is that he was paid four hundred dollars for the rights to it, and the safety pin went on to make millions of dollars. The safety pin, or holding pin, became a normal household object and is so recognizable that holding pin charms found their way into the jewelry market. Mr. Hunt most likely had no idea that his invention would some day be used by millions upon millions of people and turn into the symbol that is has; even being used as charms for jewelry.

General wearing of charms began to lose favor with the wealthy classes during the Renaissance as mass produced books emerged and superstitions faded. However, charms and amulets were still widely used by people of lesser means and education. The role of the charm remained relatively unchanged until the early 1900s.

. . . The Queen of Charm
In the early 20th century, the bracelets of Queen Victoria ignited the next big wave of charm wearing. It was at this stage that charms had a dramatic change of purpose. They went from being practical tools to becoming decorative fashion jewelry. Small lockets, glass beads and family crests that hung on bracelets and necklaces were all the rage.

. . . The Greatest Generation
The end of WWII saw the explosion of charm jewelry as we know it today. Soldiers leaving Europe and islands in the Pacific purchased little handmade trinkets as gifts to bring home to their sweethearts. Native craftsmen fashioned small bits of metal into little replicas of items common to the locale. Enterprising jewelers in the States quickly picked up on the trend to create charms for all occasions.
. . . Gumball Charms
I ran across these fun charms not long ago and fell in love with them. Made of celluloid (an early plastic) they are charms and little prizes that came out of gumball machines and candy boxes in the 1940s. These charms were collected by kids and worn on bracelets and necklaces of string and beaded chain (dog tag chain). Many of the themes are common – jungle animals, sports, sailing ships, army men, and family pets. But there were a number of commercial applications as well, primarily from comic strips. Popeye, Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, the Seven Dwarfs, Orphan Annie are just a few examples.
. . . Bobby Socks, Disco, and the Go-Gos
By the 1950s, the charm bracelet was a must-have accessory for girls and women. Major rites of passage – 16th birthdays, graduations, weddings, travel and the arrival of children – were all recorded on the links of their bracelets. Today some of these vintage bracelets sell for two to three thousand dollars at auction.
The charm bracelet began to disappear from the fashion scene during the early 1970s. Disco was in and bare gold chains became the new status symbol. But in the mid-1980s charm bracelets reappeared. New-money heirs uninterested in the old baubles of their dead relatives were liquidating huge estates. Charms that had been out of circulation for decades were showing up in antique stores and flea markets. Savvy buyers snapped them up at cheap prices.

. . . There’s No Place Like Home
The boom in collectibles in the 1990s drove a huge demand for vintage charms and charm bracelets. A gold charm costing $10 in 1950 easily commanded $70 to $80. Vintage mechanical charms (charms with moving parts) often sold for over $100 and were highly prized by serious collectors. Even with the advent of massive buying and selling arenas like eBay, prices for vintage gold charms remain strong and show no sign of decline in the new century.
As the year 2001 opened, the fashion industry once again discovered the lure of the charm bracelet, flooding the market with new charm styles in all price ranges. Fashion giants like Louis Vuitton have brought the glamour back to charm bracelets, declaring them the must-have accessory for any occasion. And if the past is any indication, charm bracelets will be in style for quite sometime.