Recently I’ve found myself explaining to several people about my charm bracelet, so I thought I’d share the story with you guys as well.
I have a classic gold charm bracelet that my godmother gave me as a child but, as I don’t really wear gold, a few years ago I started thinking I’d quite like a silver one.
I hadn’t anticipated how hard it would be to find a traditional chain-link charm bracelet. Everywhere I asked, every jewellery shop I visited, they only seemed to stock Pandora/Links of London-style bracelets. That wasn’t quite what I was after so, in despair, I turned to the internet.
And I totally hit the jackpot with The Charm Works!
The Charm Works is an UK-based online store that sells a HUGE collection of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and charms. All their products are solid sterling-silver (no plating), which is really pretty incredible considering their prices!
Bracelets start from a measly £12 and charms from as little as £3. And I promise the quality is superb.
They do sell the more modern “bead” style bracelets, as well as the traditional “hanging” charm ones, so for those of you who are lusting after a Pandora and can’t quite afford it yet, you should definitely check out their collection.
My bracelet was a Christmas present from my parents two years ago. I chose a Traditional Curb Chain Bracelet, which is £21 and available in three different lengths. I then picked out 6 charms to start off with. My first charms were all ones that I thought represented me personally, as well as my loves and interests:
A cupcake (for my love of baking), a book (‘cos I’m a bookworm), a star (I’ve always been obsessed with stars and the night sky), a set of scales (I’m a bit of an astrology geek – guess what star sign I am!), a swallow bird (which represents when I played Sally Bowles in Cabaret) and a seashell (to remind me of Mallorca).
I was even able to use the Bracelet Builder on the Charm Works website to place them in the exact order I wanted them which I thought was a lovely little touch!
What I love most about The Charm Works is their huge collection of charms. According to their website, they have over 2000 of them! And the choices is amazing. You want a cat charm? There are nineteen types of cat charms!
Case in point: for my Graduation/21st Birthday , my grandparents bought me two more charms for my collection: a graduation cap (duh), and a shoe.
Now, in my last year at Uni, I’d played Cinderella in a production of Into The Woods. I wanted a charm that would remind me of that and, after going through the website, I managed to find this one. An EXACT copy of the EXACT shoe I wore in the show. Right down to the slingback and bow on the peep-toe.
You have to admit, that is pretty cool.
The service I’ve had from The Charm Works has also been absolutely brilliant: easy ordering, fast delivery and really really fast replies to queries on their Facebook page.
They also hold competitions on their Facebook where you can do the usual Like & Share to have a chance of winning any free charm from their site. I’ve been lucky enough to win twice and picked the music note (for my love of singing) and the boat (which is kind of a family symbol).
As you’d expect, they attach your first charms to your bracelet and deliver it all ready-made for you. But I then also discovered that you can post your Charm Works bracelet and any new charms to them and they’ll attach them for free!
Considering I went in to a jewelers to get a quote and they told me it would be THIRTY POUNDS (thirtyfreakingpounds?!) to attach a simple jump ring to a chain, I think that’s a pretty darn good deal.
I sent them a little doodle of where I wanted my new charms to go, popped it in an envelope with a note and sent it off by first-class Royal Mail. About a week later I got my lovely bracelet back with all it’s pretty new charms safely and properly attached.
Boom. Sorted.
Do any of you already have a charm bracelet? What charms do you have on it? And if you don’t have one, why not get yourself over to The Charm Works and start building memories now?
My Gran’s had her charm bracelet since she was a young girl and it’s really lovely to hear the stories behind each of her charms. I think it’s such a pretty way of commemorating important events in your life.
I love the thought that I can physically carry my memories around with me and maybe in 50 years or so, I’ll be able to tell those special stories to my grandkids…
*Some of the charms featured in this post were won in a legitimate competition and others were gifted to me.
>However, this is NOT a sponsored post, nor have I received any freebies or monetary compensation for writing it.
I just really really like the company and their products!
