Once relegated to dusty childhood boxes, charms are firmly back on trend again, appearing on Milan’s catwalks, the high street and notably, on Taylor Swift’s wrist. While charms have always been about storytelling, today’s offering is all together more personal. What began as sentimental keepsakes to commemorate weddings or births has evolved and today’s talismans are wearable symbols of personal identity. Think astrology, spirituality, mood and meaningful milestones, all rendered in miniature gold. Bracelets have given way to necklaces, charms are now worn boldly and layered up as the focus has swung from souvenir memorabilia to deeper meanings.
Crucially, the trend is just as much fun to shop for yourself as it is to gift others. Typically, jewellery can be terribly hard to buy for other people, but these charms hit that elusive sweet spot – thoughtful without being too try-hard, meaningful without veering OTT.
Whether you’re browsing for yourself or for others, here are seven brilliant places to shop contemporary charm jewellery that says, quietly and convincingly, ‘This was chosen with you in mind’.
Main image: Pragnell Jewellery
Annoushka
18ct Yellow Gold And Diamond Pearl Peapod Seed Charm Pendant, Annouskha, £3,700
Crowned London’s Queen of Charm jewellery, Annouskha Ducas designs some of the dreamiest 18-carat gold charms in the business, often set with precious stones. Her ready-to-wear charms are effortlessly chic, but it is the bespoke My Life in Seven Charms service that is most coveted of all. She transforms personal stories and memories into detailed drawings and miniature works of art to wear. Picture diamond pavé champagne bottles, pearl-drop cocktail glasses and tiny lockets hiding secret sapphires - no idea too wild, no moment too small. Rhianna is a fan of these once-in-a-lifetime gifts.
Pandora
Sun and Moon Medallion Charm, Pandora, £49
Pandora is well known for bringing charm jewellery to the masses, rightly credited with launching a thousand jangling wrists in the early 2000s. Today, the brand sells more than three pieces every second, making it the world’s biggest jewellery brand by volume. Among the fashion set, much has recently been made of Talisman, Pandora’s more sophisticated new of vintage-style sterling silver and gold-plated discs, etched with suns, moons and quietly powerful Latin mantras. Even Vogue has given its seal of approval.
FoundRae
Snow Pavé Diamond La Loba Claw Pendant, from £3,505
Gwyneth Paltrow, Taylor Swift and January Jones are among those who can’t resist FoundRae’s cult charms. Hailed by Vogue as ‘modern heirlooms with meaning’, its chunky gold chains are adorned with talismanic medallions inspired by ancient mythology. Choose 18-carat gold initials or bold stars, lions, snakes and arrows, adorned with diamonds and enamel, finished off with a bespoke engraving. These are serious, soul-bearing charms, designed to be collected over a lifetime.
Monica Vinader
Talisman Evil Eye Pendant, £75
A modern classic who is quietly royal-approved, this jeweller sells gold vermeil and sterling silver charms that look more expensive than their price tag. Start a necklace now and build upon it for birthdays, anniversaries and everything in between. Over time, add engraved initial discs, drop-shaped pearls, vibrant birthstones or symbolic pendants. Current favourites include the goddess-inspired Dena Beaded Pendant and the Siren Muse Round Pendant.
Loquet
Four Leaf Clover Charm, £800
Loquet has long been known as the grown-up’s answer to charm jewellery. The clear sapphire crystal lockets are designed to hold tiny solid gold and gem-set charms, curated personally by the buyer like a private treasure trove. Choose from more than 100 motifs, from birthstones and dog paws to palm trees and four leaf clovers, with charms starting from £40. Founder Sheherazade Goldsmith famously switches her charms daily – four-leaf clovers for big meetings, a tiny martini glass for nights out. Wearable yet sentimental, this is the ultimate ‘build-your-own-story’ kind of jewellery.
Bibi van der Velden
Mini Scarab Pave Fly Wings Charm, £2,200
A spirit animal is always welcome, particularly when cast in gold. Bibi van der Velden’s Bestiary collection, created to celebrate 20 years of storytelling through jewellery, is a glittering menagerie of 50 symbolic charms inspired by myth, nature and memory. Imagine jewel-encrusted frogs, delicate mermaid tails crowned with lions’ heads, winged beasts touched by fire and diamond-dotted jellyfish that feel more like miniature sculptures than accessories. Layer them, combine them, clash them - enjoy them.
Pragnell
Zodiac Diamond Capricorn Pendant Charm in 18ct Yellow Gold, £2,350
When budget is no object, Pragnell delivers proper heirloom-worthy charm in the truest sense. The British fine jeweller has tapped into the growing appetite for spiritually meaningful charms designed to be layered, added to and built into personal collections over time. Their diamond-set birthstones, initial letter charms and handcrafted 18ct yellow gold zodiac pendants shimmer in their glory. Talismanic motifs such as the Ankh Cross, Endless Knot and Hand of Fatima add to the collection, each a marker of memories, passions and milestones.
