Charmed

Charms seem to be having a moment again. Maybe it’s a hankering for the unique, the treasured, the beautifully made, in reaction to the mainstream ’80s overload. Yves St Laurent has seaside-themed charm bracelets this season (a rather pricey bit of fun at £675), while Bottega Veneta’s bracelets (£410) are detailed with silver rose charms. Cavalli’s take is playful, with dinky gold-plated charms on a leather bracelet (£260). At Marc by Marc Jacobs, even leather sandals are decorated with brightly coloured charms (all at www.net-a-porter.com). And just look at the cute yet cool ‘Alice in Wonderland’ charm necklaces by the hottest jewellery maestro of the moment, Tom Binns (as seen in the April issue of Vogue) (tombinnsdesign.com).

I’ve always had a thing about charm bracelets. All that remains from my childhood one are a few heavy silver charms – including a guitar and, weirdly, a dodo – that I’ve had soldered onto a chunky silver link bracelet. So, Annina Vogel’s (www.anninavogel.co.uk) stunning necklaces using vintage gold charms really stood out on a recent trip to Smock boutique in Dublin (see previous post). They are certainly investment buys – and we mean investment as in the price of a secondhand car – but there’s no harm in looking. You’re talking £1,950 for the beautiful long charm necklace in gold (Kate Moss wears it, often). The unique, timeless quality of it really stands out. Also sold at www.matches.com

Looking at more affordable alternatives, I came across Lisa de Bidaph’s www.vintagecharmnecklaces.co.uk charm jewellery in silver or gold (from £125), and Hannah Zakari (www.hannahzakari.co.uk), whose little silver chair charm necklace is just £24. Giles & Brother (www.brownsfashion.com) do a cute small luck charm necklace (£115) with a horseshoe, heart and anchor in sterling silver. All Saints’ (www.allsaints.com) versions are typically burnished and edgy; prices from £25, with the longer, more detailed necklaces at £55. Topshop (www.topshop.com), naturally, do a fun, cheap take on the trend: their charm bangle pack is 14 quid, while the Cake Teapot Heart necklace is great for a tenner. Or be creative and make your own with charms from www.myvintagecharms.com.