Most people would be hard pressed to think of a more versatile piece of jewelry than charms. These delicate yet often very elaborate miniature pieces can be used on charm bracelets, added to hoop earrings or even attached to necklaces as pendants. Silver charms and gold charms alike are popular either as unique additions to a bracelet or chain or as part of a collection of charms.

Mixing and matching different types of charms with each other on bracelets is one of the fun aspects of charm bracelets. There are no hard and fast rules about what you can or cannot do with your charm collections and silver and gold charms can easily be used on the same bracelet or kept completely separate. Adding both types of metal charms to your bracelet means it can easily be matched with anything you may decide to wear.

Charms actually date back to some of the earliest forms of jewelry. The first recognizable use of the charm bracelet goes back to the type of Egyptian Pharaohs. The precious metals were shaped into symbols that were of importance to the wearer of the bracelet as well as the gods. People were buried with their charm bracelets on as a way to provide information that would go with them to the afterlife.

In early Roman civilizations silver charms and gold charms were used to indicate if the wearer was a Christian. Small fish shaped charms served as a way to allow people into secret meetings and gatherings. Even early Jewish scholars used hollowed out charms to store small pieces of religious text.

Charms continued to be used to keep away bad spirits even into the Middle Ages and up to the Renaissance period. Some of these types of gold and silver charms were very detailed and became the modern good luck charms still in use.

In the early 20th century the English royal family, namely Queen Victoria, again made wearing a charm bracelet a fashion forward piece of jewelry. These charms often included coats of arms and flags as well as monuments.

Soldiers fighting overseas in the wars started to buy charms to send home to wives and loved ones. Internationally more and more jewelers saw the market for these small yet beautiful charms and started producing a much greater variety and selection. Silver charms as well as gold charms from around the world found their way back to the United States and gifts and presents.

Charms are now more than just silver charms and gold charms. They can be plastic, cut glass, precious or semi-precious stones, amulets, or even beads. They continue to be very popular with young and old alike, making them a jewelry fashion staple.