You either lived through it in the 90s and 00s or it’s all over your Tiktok and you're experiencing the charm hype for the first time. Either way, it’s true, Italian charm bracelets are just as cool now as they were when you were a kid. Charms all are the craze from chokers to keychains to bracelets. Italian charms are bringing millennials and Gen Z closer than ever, one cute charm at a time. Want to learn more about these charms? Keep reading!
If you’re just now discovering italian charms, here’s what you need to know:
Italian charm bracelets began, you guessed it, in Italy in 1987 and gained popularity through the 1990s. Unlike other charms with their dangling design, Italian charms offered a sleek, flat, and interlocking design. It creates a smooth and uniform appearance allowing the design on each charm pop.
The simplicity of the design, combined with the ability to personalize each, quickly made Italian charm bracelets a hit and started growing throughout Europe. The charms themselves varied widely, from letters and symbols to images and miniatures, allowing wearers to create a bracelet that was uniquely their own based on the charms they picked for themselves. Americans saw these charms on their European travels and brought the trend back stateside in the 2000s.
Although they never fully left, Italian charms are starting to regain popularity twenty years later. If you’re a Love Islander, you may have noticed Anna May’s arm candy on Season Nine when she entered the villa sporting two Italian charm bracelets. Millennials did a double take and Gen Z viewers were left wondering what bracelets she sported. Some people ran back to their childhood jewelry boxes while others went online to search for these charms, making them the must have accessory of the 2020s.
Italian charm bracelets have evolved beyond just a fashion statement; they represent personal stories and milestones. They have become a scrapbook for your wrist. Each charm can signify a cherished memory, a loved one, or a significant event. So the next time you clasp an Italian charm bracelet around your wrist, remember you’re not just wearing a piece of jewelry; you’re adorning yourself with a piece of yourself and thirty years of history.
You can shop Italian charms on our website or in person at one of our New York City stores:
- Upper East Side , 311 E 81st St
- Upper West Side, 2206 Broadway
We are also popping up at various markets throughout the city. Check out our event schedule here!