Are most of these worn on a bracelet?

No. Of 524 listings, 408 titles describe a pendant, so the pendant charm on a chain is the form you will meet most often. Bracelets and the fittings for them are a smaller group: bracelet appears in 37 titles, with curb bracelets, dog clips and loaded split rings among them.

Why do so many charms come from France?

France is the dominant single origin in the titles, appearing in 162 of them. Almost all the French pieces are 18K yellow gold rather than a British carat standard. The subjects are mostly religious and sentimental medal pendants, with zodiac signs a steady secondary theme. The Virgin Mary leads the whole category at 51 titles.

What subjects do the British novelty charms cover?

The 9ct novelties run through animals and everyday objects: elephants, dog breeds, an articulated fish, a rocking horse, a ships lantern, a coffee pot, dice, wedding bells, bagpipes, a Beefeater, a guitar. Hearts, padlocks and lockets form their own sentimental group, with heart in 71 titles and padlock in 27. Many of these carry an assay office and year.

How old are antique charms usually?

Dealer-entered dates span 1800 to 1960, and 365 of the listings carry a clean year, which is unusually well dated for jewellery this small. The 1960s is the largest single period bucket, followed by the 1910s, the Victorian label and the 1950s. Pre-1800 material appears only occasionally.

Which hallmarks appear on the British pieces?

The assay offices named in the samples are London, Birmingham and Chester, with Chester the least common of the three. Years quoted include Chester 1956, London 1959 and Birmingham 1962. Where a title gives both office and year, that piece tends to sit above the same charm described only by its metal.

Do unusual one-off charms turn up?

They do. Single oddities in the archive include an Egyptian sarcophagus propelling pencil, a gold and enamel vinaigrette box pendant and a bezoar or Goa stone cage amulet. Others are stranger still: a French love thermometer, a French love magnet, and a blood-group medical medal. Forty-nine dealers have listed charms on Sellingantiques, with roughly sixty-eight coming to market in a year.

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Antique Charms

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A charm is a small gold or silver ornament made to hang from a chain, bracelet or watch chain, worn as decoration and as a token of luck, faith, remembrance or affection.