Love Charms

Love is an interesting emotion. It’s said to be one of the strongest, and sometimes it causes us to do extraordinary things for those we care about. Displays of love can come in a variety of forms, but the age old choice of giving jewellery hasn’t died out – in fact, it’s more popular than ever. Whether you’re looking for a romantic gift for your partner or a symbol of an undying friendship, love charms are the perfect choice for showing your loved one that you care.

Romantic gift-giving has an interesting history. A lot of our “courting” traditions come from medieval times, such as opening doors for one another and love poetry. It’s hard to say exactly when customary romantic gifts started, but there are some interesting items that were used throughout history to express one’s love for another.

• A Norse tradition would require a girl of marriageable age to wear an empty knife sheath until an interested party placed a knife in it as a signal that they were interested. If the girl kept the knife, it meant that she accepted the suitor’s affections.


• Welsh suitors in the 17^th century would carve intricate designs on wooden spoons, called “love-spoons,” with various symbols which had significant meaning.


• Victorian suitors would send a pair of gloves to the woman of their choice in hopes that she would wear them to Sunday services. If she did, it meant she felt the same towards her suitor.

The history of gift-giving in general started all the way back in primitive times. Gifts were often given in thanks for a service, such as a good deed done for the tribe. Since the only materials that were of any use in gift giving were unusual or hard-to-come-by objects, it wasn’t uncommon for those receiving gifts to get something in the line of animal teeth or strange-looking rocks. Over time, more materials and gift ideas were discovered, and the reasons for gift-giving also expanded. Some gifts were used to gain the favour of nobles and kings, and some were given for monumental achievements, such as the Egyptian Pharaohs building spectacular pyramids in their kingdom.

Love charms are one of the many tokens that have evolved from romantic gift-giving traditions. Many options are available for charms, and each one has its own significance, especially in the eye of the beholder. As we’ve mentioned before, the popularity of charms started in the Victorian era, particularly in the early years known as the Romantic Period. Queen Victoria is responsible for the invention and popularization of charms, and love charms were one of her specialities. She would carry around a charm with a lock of Prince Albert’s hair inside.

Love charms aren’t just for lovers, though. Charms have been passed down through generations as a family heirloom; some mothers give their daughters a charm bracelet that has been passed down to them, and the daughter can remove old charms and add her own. Likewise, the resurgence of the charm bracelet’s popularity has seen gift-giving between sisters, cousins, and so on and so forth. Best friend charm bracelets were a hit in the 90s and are making a good comeback in many areas of the globe. Charms can also be given in memory of loved ones to remember them by, and many have found comfort in having a jingling reminder delicately draped on their wrist.

Few occasions are inappropriate for love charms, if any. Well, maybe Halloween; we aren’t aware of any gift-giving other than candy when it comes to Halloween. However, any event or holiday from graduations to Mother’s Day is a great time to give your special recipient a love charm. Wedding charms, such as our Love Birds on a Swing charm, are excellent choices for the new bride and groom. If you’re feeling homesick, our Home and Heart charm will warm you with memories of the house in which you grew up. For those with a sense of humour, the I Dig You The Most shovel charm is a quirky and fun addition to a friend or lover’s charm bracelet. It’s hard to go wrong with any of the choices, but these are a few of our favourites.

Whichever you choose, you can rest easy knowing that your gift will be appreciated for the thought put into it and the beautifully crafted design. Love charms convey your affection to anyone who receives them. We know you’ll be happy with your choice.

 

 

Love Charms