Why You Should Sell Your Customers 925 Silver Charms & Charm Bracelets
Why offer charms? Customers love them because they make excellent gifts – nothing says “I know you” like a well-chosen charm – and just as great ways to indulge themselves with something unique. To many people, charms aren’t just fashion statements; they’re mementos that last a lifetime.
Charms have a long history. It used to be that women might receive charm bracelets at several points in her life: as a young girl, and again at her marriage.
The tradition was that a woman received a charm bracelet at marriage to celebrate her future. It started out with a marriage certificate or wedding bells. Still, it was then filled up later with charms that represented her honeymoon, her anniversaries, and the birth of each of her children. It was frequently called a “Lifetime bracelet” – the idea being it would grow over her lifetime. One day, she would give it to her daughter, continuing the charm collecting over generations.
The daughter would then take the bracelet and add on her own charms. These might represent her own beliefs, hobbies, and interest. Over time the charm bracelet would mature along with the daughter – growing both in charm count but also growing in sentimental value.
The fact is, charms had a great deal of personal significance to the woman of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Worn on a link bracelet in multiples, the charms on a woman’s bracelet were a chronicle of her life. They represented a time capsule, with each charm standing for significant events and her passions. Charms were precious, sentimental objects which both told a woman’s story and ensured it was preserved for coming generations.
The first charm in a woman’s life usually came to her as a young girl. Perhaps it was a flower or a ballerina. Later on, during her teenage years, she might have been given more charms for her “sweet sixteen” birthday, as a love token from her first sweetheart, as a school trip souvenir, or in the form of a jeweled mortarboard at graduation. More charms would follow to commemorate the young woman’s engagement and wedding, her first home, her children. All her major life milestones were commemorated with charms.
The travel trend which came about in the middle of the 20th century let her explore much more of the globe than her mother or grandmother ever could. A cruise ship charm might have symbolized her honeymoon voyage to some exotic islands or an Eiffel Tower for a romantic weekend spent in France. The charms on her wrist gave her fuel for many, many cocktail party conversations spent explaining what each one meant.
A golden typewriter on a woman’s charm bracelet signified that, like many other women of the day, she worked a job outside her home as a secretary. There might have been charms showing her interest in the arts or sports, notably theater and painting. Today, charms are just as popular as a way of expressing a woman’s individualism.
Other charms on a woman’s charm bracelet might have been added just because she found them beautiful. As a bride, she might have given charms to her bridesmaids as individual thank-you gifts. Nowadays, a woman might buy a charm for her birthday, which is somehow relevant to the past year of her life – starting a tradition which she might pass down to her daughters.
Seen from a jewelry business point of view, charms are fantastic gifts. It may well be that charms are purchased more often than any other add-on you sell in your store. Page through our catalog, and you’ll find we have a tremendous selection of charms available to fit just about every season or every conceivable purpose. For many women, collecting charms is an addictive hobby. Charms with a lobster are easy to remove and replace, giving her endless combinations, while our charms with a split ring are durable and will become fixtures of her bracelet.
Charms have seen a significant increase in popularity recently, particularly among celebrities. Celebrities have given them a stamp of approval, with Hollywood personalities like Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Simpson being photographed with charm bracelets. Stars like Gwen Stefani and Jade Jagger have been seen wearing charm necklaces. Charms aren’t just beautiful and collectible; they make good business sense: if your store doesn’t carry at least one line of charms, you might be missing add-on sales that could last generations.