Charm Beads - Create Unique Pieces Of Jewellery
My first reaction to charm beads are lucky charms. Are charms always lucky? If so, why? I think it comes down to superstition versus subjective personal experience. It's a bit like ghosts. If someone tells you they've seen a ghost I wonder how many believe unless they saw the ghost with their own two eyes.... For me I just like the comforting way the beads feel.
There are the obvious charm beads e.g. four leaf clover, Tibet dzi beads, and then there are beads that are just plain charming! In this day and age beads are worn more out of fashion than any meaning behind them.
The other positive thing about charm beads is they vary tremendously from cheap looking plastic to the expense of 14k gold so they are within everyone's budget.
History of charm beads
Types of charm beads
Trollbeads
Chamilia and Pandora Beads
Charm beads made from other materials
Charm Bead History
Most commonly found on bracelets but can be worn on necklaces. There was no inventor of the original charm bead. The story is that our ancestors would adorn themselves with any piece of shell, bone or stone they liked and it developed throughout history to become a way of deterring bad spirits or bad luck. The only charm beads that have inventors are the more modern creations e.g. Trollbeads.
Types of Charm Beads
There are actually a few different types of charm bead:-
* A charm bead where the bead is just a bead e.g. Trollbead
* A bead that has a charm on it (also called a dangle charm)
* A charm hanger is where a loop is at the bottom where you can attach a charm (also called charm drops or bead bails)
Trollbeads
Trollbeads are my first thought when it comes to recognisable charms. There were originally only five beads all made out of silver that were attached to a leather necklace but now their range is much wider.
Pandora/Chamilia
At the high end of the scale there are Pandora and Chamilia beads. They both have hundreds of beads to choose from in many different materials but they are expensive due to the material being gold or semi precious stone, etc. The noticeable differences between the two are that Pandora beads are larger, heavier and generally more expensive. The expense is also due to the fact that both these types of bead are handmade to a high quality by artisans.
Other Materials
Charm beads can be as expensive or as cheap as you are willing to afford. There are even charm beads available that are made out of plastic. I don't mean acrylic that looks like glass they are plastic that look like plastic.
Lastly, if you have more time and feel creative polymer clay can be used where you can mold shapes yourself or you can buy molds of shells, flowers or animals. So as well as buying beads you can make them more unique again by making your own!
There are the obvious charm beads e.g. four leaf clover, Tibet dzi beads, and then there are beads that are just plain charming! In this day and age beads are worn more out of fashion than any meaning behind them.
The other positive thing about charm beads is they vary tremendously from cheap looking plastic to the expense of 14k gold so they are within everyone's budget.
History of charm beads
Types of charm beads
Trollbeads
Chamilia and Pandora Beads
Charm beads made from other materials
Charm Bead History
Most commonly found on bracelets but can be worn on necklaces. There was no inventor of the original charm bead. The story is that our ancestors would adorn themselves with any piece of shell, bone or stone they liked and it developed throughout history to become a way of deterring bad spirits or bad luck. The only charm beads that have inventors are the more modern creations e.g. Trollbeads.
Types of Charm Beads
There are actually a few different types of charm bead:-
* A charm bead where the bead is just a bead e.g. Trollbead
* A bead that has a charm on it (also called a dangle charm)
* A charm hanger is where a loop is at the bottom where you can attach a charm (also called charm drops or bead bails)
Trollbeads
Trollbeads are my first thought when it comes to recognisable charms. There were originally only five beads all made out of silver that were attached to a leather necklace but now their range is much wider.
Pandora/Chamilia
At the high end of the scale there are Pandora and Chamilia beads. They both have hundreds of beads to choose from in many different materials but they are expensive due to the material being gold or semi precious stone, etc. The noticeable differences between the two are that Pandora beads are larger, heavier and generally more expensive. The expense is also due to the fact that both these types of bead are handmade to a high quality by artisans.
Other Materials
Charm beads can be as expensive or as cheap as you are willing to afford. There are even charm beads available that are made out of plastic. I don't mean acrylic that looks like glass they are plastic that look like plastic.
Lastly, if you have more time and feel creative polymer clay can be used where you can mold shapes yourself or you can buy molds of shells, flowers or animals. So as well as buying beads you can make them more unique again by making your own!