Charms and Charm Bracelets: The Complete Guide [Hardcover]

Joanne Schwartz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2007

Virtually every American woman has a charm or two tucked away somewhere or has inherited a charm bracelet from a relative. Charm collecting has grown into a competitive and popular pastime with an international following. Consider the evidence - eBay lists over 20,000 vintage charms and bracelets daily, and prices for older pieces continue to escalate. This is a much-needed, comprehensive and entertaining guide to charms and charm bracelets, profusely illustrated with over 300 color photographs. It shows the wide variety of styles ranging from gold to plastic and from the 19th century to the present. Readers will learn to date and determine the value of charms and appreciate their history and uses over the years. Collectors, dealers, jewelry and fashion historians, and appraisers will enjoy the many beautiful examples. This new book is a great help for jewelry collectors everywhere.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (July 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764321293
• ISBN-13: 978-0764321290
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Jewelry

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Written Book for Charm Collectors and Sellers, May 31, 2005

By 

J. Whitford (Falls Church, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Charms and Charm Bracelets: The Complete Guide (Hardcover)

I have every book there is on collecting charms and charm bracelets. This book is the best written, contains the best history, best advertisements, etc. The book has over 300 color pictures of charms, bracelets and advertisements. Unlike other books, this one gives equal time to both gold and silver charms and bracelets. You get a wonderful history of charms, charm bracelets and how they are made - decade by decade.

What really sold me on this lovely book is the fact that it has lots of additional information. There is an appendix explaining metal markings and one showing pictures of actual metal markings with explanations. You also get a nice glossary of frequently used terms, a bibliography, and a wonderful index.

If you want to know the history of charms and charm bracelets, their metal markings, and you can only get one book - get this one. This is great for collectors and for people who actually sell charms and bracelets. The author has done an outstanding job of compiling a lot of useful information and photographs in a wonderful, easy to read guide to the world of charms and charm bracelets.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Sure to become one of your favorites...", March 14, 2005

By 

Sara L. Jamison - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Charms and Charm Bracelets: The Complete Guide (Hardcover)

Charms & Charm Bracelets: the Complete Guide is well researched and entertaining. This book gets it right! I read plenty of jewelry books and Charms & Charm Bracelets avoids most of my pet peeves. It is well organized and includes an accurate glossary, bibliography, and index. The photos are clear and well composed. Missing are photos that show more background than jewelry. You know the pictures I'm talking about. "Gee, is that an earring, bracelet, or waste processing plant?" Helpful information including measurements, prices, and circa dates is included in the captions. This is a fun and useful book.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must-have" resource for serious collectors, March 13, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charms and Charm Bracelets: The Complete Guide (Hardcover)

Charms and Charm Bracelets: The Complete Guide is a price guide to charm bracelets from the 19th century to the present, illustrated with over 300 color photographs and featuring jewelry ranging in composition from gold to plastic. Written by an enthusiastic collector of antique jewelry, Charms and Charm Bracelets discusses techniques in making charms, trends in charm and jewelry making throughout the decades, factors to consider when evaluating and appraising specific pieces of charm jewelry, and much more. A "must-have" resource for serious collectors, and a treasury to page through for art lovers interested in this unique form of adornment.