I didn’t grow up in a jewelry family. I come from practical Midwestern folk who are more likely to send you 50 pounds of beef for the freezer come Christmas than pass on a family heirloom. But I’ve always been fascinated by the everyday jewelry people wear, since I started wearing my dad’s wedding band after he died.
A charm necklace is an excellent place to start, if you’re intrigued by jewelry that becomes a second skin. It’s not charged with romantic notions the way rings can be, and it’s a little easier to wear than a bracelet.
I made mine almost four years ago, borrowing a Tiffany pendant my dad’s boss gave me for my high school graduation and looping it around a gold chain I bought at a church yard sale with my best friend. My husband gave me a vintage charm from Etsy with our initials engraved on it after our first year of dating, which I added to my stack. Last year, I looped another vintage Etsy charm — a lucky match with a red tip — when I became my own boss.
Constructing a charm necklace doubles as an act of service. My little sister, my constant phone call and reluctant business partner, asked for one of her own last year. I started with the chain, which I always suggest doing, careful to find a clasp that could accommodate charms of many sizes.
Next came the fun part. What makes this person you love so damn lovely? I bought an S for her first initial. A vintage ear of corn for our childhood in Iowa. An Aquarius charm for our shared astrological sign. A bright white pearl for the optimism she always seems to dig out of me. A vintage blue bow for her favorite color and her sister nickname, Bowie.
Etsy is my favorite place to shop for preloved charms. Think of non-obvious loves or interests the person you’re shopping for might have. And next time you’re traveling or at an antique mall, scan the jewelry trays often locked away behind glass. As for charm length, make note of how long the person in question normally wears their necklaces and follow suit. Don’t be intimidated, either. You could give a simple, elegant chain as a start and build a stack over birthdays and holidays to come.
My end result, for my sister, was a stack of my unspoken adoration. I watched in delight as she opened her gift during a holiday party.The best part was seeing her smile up at me, understanding the secret sentiment behind every charm, no explanation necessary.
Erika Veurink is a writer and consultant living in Brooklyn by way of Iowa. She writes the fashion newsletter Long Live and is the founder of EV Salon, where online connections happen IRL.
Thoughts? Would you make your own charm necklace? I love this and these!
P.S. Erika’s week of outfits, and an ode to signet rings.
