Fly Girl''s Vintage Charm Bracelet Project

[Fly Girl]

The threads about charm bracelets brought back lots of memories for me. I owned a sterling charm bracelet in high school which has gone missing, and I also have a gold filled bracelet with 5 charms representing awards I won as a HS senior. But then, I went off to college and left my charm bracelet days behind.

But, like fafa, I was inspired to go out to eBay and check on bracelets and charms and was delighted with the amazing vintage charms for sale. I picked up a 14k starter bracelet for about 30% over scrap gold prices, and began looking for cute charms that spoke to me. Since I recently purchased a 2010 PT Cruiser I began with a vintage "Cruiser". This charm has wheels that roll and was so much cuter and cheaper than the new PT Cruiser charms. Thus began the theme for my new charm bracelet. I'm looking for 14k or better 3D charms with lots of detail and which represent phases of my life. Movement is a plus. So is low prices. It's a bit of a game, but that's part of the 'charm'.

 

[Fly Girl]

Yesterday three more charms arrived in the mail to join the ''Cruiser''. A typewriter, a baby buggy and a treasure chest.

 

[PumpkinPie]

I love charm bracelets - they''re so charming

 

[PumpkinPie]

(tee hee)

seriously though - your charms are adorable.. my mother has a charm bracelet that she started in her teens.. I love looking at all the charms and imagining her life then

 

[Fly Girl]

The typewriter represents my career, which has been an office job. I actually work a lot with numbers on a computer, and I was trying to decide between an adorable, but expensive abacus, or a more modern computer charm. A slide rule charm was temporarily in the running, but I have decided to try to limit the number of long skinny charms. Interesting shapes are important.

This cute typewriter won because it was under $65, and has lots of movement. The platen (roller) actually spins and the keyboard will move down and back up when you press on the keys. There is a tiny spring under the keyboard.

 

[ma re]

Those are really like little time capsules - show you how jewellery was once made, and they''re lovely!

 

[Fly Girl]

Showing the bottom of the little typewriter and the tiny spring under the keyboard. This charm has not been cleaned, and I hesitate to do anything that might ruin the spring.

 

[Fly Girl]

I had been trying to decide how to represent my family. My children are grown, but I always loved the boy and girl head charms that you can engrave with their names and birthdates. There are charms which would represent thier current interests and careers, and I am still on the hunt for those. But, the typewriter seller had this cute baby buggy for sale, and I picked it up for a song. The buggy is 14k yellow gold and the wheels move and are in rose gold. So, for now, my babies are represented by this adorable baby buggy.

 

[Fly Girl]

Another shot of the baby buggy sitting upright and ready to take baby for a stroll.

 

[Fly Girl]

Finally the treasure chest. There are so many ways I can interpret this charm. A lifetime of treasures that have come my way, the recent recession and the difficulties of so many people losing their life savings, video games I have enjoyed where the goal was looking for treasure, my time on PS enjoying the treasures of all of you. Take your pick. I liked the white gold lid and the fact that it snaps open and shut.

 

[Fly Girl]

The inside of the treasure chest. The two bags of money are in white gold like the lid. The rest of the charm is 14k yellow gold.

 

[Fly Girl]

Another shot next to my bracelet.

 

[Fly Girl]

I've temporarily attached the charms myself to see how I like the arrangement. After I get a few more charms, I'll have my jeweler attach them properly. I'll have him remove the extra bale on the little buggy as well.

 

[Fly Girl]

The other two charms.

Thanks for looking.

 

[AGBF]

Fly_Girl, Your new charms are simply fabulous! I have really started to envy you and fafa, who have decided to look for vintage charms with movement rather than limiting yourself to brand new charms to correlate strictly with exact phases that you are going through in life!

The closest I have come to what the two of you are now doing is to look at and collect photographs of completed vintage bracelets that are for sale on eBay! I did that before I really got started on my own and my daughter's bracelets. I can't imagine that I will ever have the time or the money to invest in another charm bracelet after the one I am working on now, so I will probably never have the chance to make one similar to yours, but the impulse to do so is great!

I really enjoy seeing you build your lovely bracelet! That typewriter is magnificent and I love the rose gold baby buggy wheels!

AGBF

 

[Rachel9]

FlyG the baby buggy is my favorite charm! Thanks for sharing

 

[fafa]

Fly Girl, I love your charm bracelet. Those charms are so cute. I''ve been looking for a baby stroller and a treasure chest for a while. I really like yours. Have you played Final Fantasy? Your treasure chest reminds me of those in that game. Great find!

 

[Indylady]

Flygirl, I love your charm bracelet. I used to have one as a little girl and loved to collect charms; I wonder if I''ll start again as an adult. I can already see the fun you''re having!

 

[Cind11]

Love this idea. The charms are so intricate and it''s so neat to have them representational of different things in your life.

 

[Fly Girl]

Thank you for your kind comments, Maevie, ma re, AGBF, Rachel9, fafa, IndyLady and Cind11.

Yesterday the Eiffel Tower arrived! My husband travels to Paris quite a bit, and last year DS and I tagged along. I was in Paris years ago as a college student, but was unable to go up the Eiffel Tower because it was January, and the tower was closed due to ice. Last year I finally made my trip up the Eiffel Tower after a long 35 year wait. It was awesome.

Anyhow, I''ve been hunting for a vintage Eiffel Tower charm for weeks now. Most of them are larger than I wanted for this bracelet. This little charmer was just the right size. It seems to have a fair amount of detail as well.

 

[Fly Girl]

The new tower charm next to the rest of the bracelet. As you can see, small as it is, the Eiffel Tower is still the longest charm.

 

[Fly Girl]

And, finally, a wrist shot after my (temporary) attachment.