CHARMED BRACELETS

The Eiffel Tower in miniature, a tiny silver teddy bear, or perhaps a platinum disk engraved with a date - Every charm on a bracelet has special meaning for its wearer - history on a wrist. Tracey Zabar, premier crafter of charm bracelets, explores the enduring appeal of these chic, sweet accessories in Charmed Bracelets. Beginning with the amulets and talismans of ancient times, she discusses the origins of charms, then showcases a selection of exuberant ornaments from the charm-crazed 1950s and concludes with present-day bracelets. Charmed Bracelets includes suggestions for selecting trinkets around a theme, be it foreign cities or favorite movies, and provides instructions on how to maintain the jewelry. Beyond embellishing a bracelet, Zabar also describes other clever applications for charms - to customize a dog collar, for example, or bedeck the ribbons on an exquisitely wrapped birthday present. A guide to buying charms completes this enchanting gift book.