walter lampl gold hourglass charm

14K gold circa 1940 hourglass charm by the Walter Lampl Company

The other one I love is KIVA
I am forming a group there of charmers so we can track the good we do together in the world. Please join me if you have a spare 25.00 to lend for a few years, it’ll make you feel great! Click here to join the Charmers Kiva group

I’m a big supporter of Tiffany, I’ve bought my Opening Night gifts there since I was a teenager, as well as my watch, and husbands signet ring etc. They have something for almost every budget, from 25 dollars to 25 million. One friend of my sister’s told her husband, after many failed present attempts “If it doesn’t come in a little blue box I-DON’T-WANT-IT!” I think that’s overkill myself but there’s no doubt that that Tiffany blue perks up the heart rate.

So for my 50th Birthday I asked my friends to go in together on a charm, my husband was going to buy the bracelet and I had a few Tiffany pendants and charms I’d found over the years and wanted to give them a good home. They outdid themselves and also bought the bracelet, so he bought me the Present Padlock to hold the clasps – a brilliant solution – so we thought. It turns out (and Tiffany will now tell you this, although they didn’t when we bought them) that the padlocks aren’t strong enough to even stay on the bracelets – the company suggests you have them solder them shut – rather defeats the purpose of the padlock doesn’t it? So I now have merrily put 8 charms on my bracelet, held by this lovely lock. I go off with my goddaughter to Santa Barbara, where (being a kid) she manages to get wet in the surf. I dry her off, shake the sand out of the towel, and off we go to lunch. At lunch I look down and the bracelet is GONE!!!!! We rush back to the parking lot by the ocean, and find the padlock charm, run over by cars and sad, but there – clearly it had let go and fallen off when i shook out the towel. The bracelet however is nowhere to be found, search as we may. I contacted the parking lot company, police and Tiffany’s in case it was turned in but no luck. When I went to complain to Tiffany about the clearly defective lock they explained they are all like that – and they will solder on to the bracelet free. Not much help for the bracelet I have lost. No apology, offer to replace (yes I had the receipts) or real concern; too bad so sad – buy them all again. Not at all the customer service I expect from such a fine store. They did polish the one that had been run over, my only remnant of my 50th bracelet. So one by one I am replacing the charms, because even though the service has lost luster, the charms still glitter seductively.

But anyone buying them as Holiday presents this year be warned – get them soldered – even though it means the padlocks don’t work as padlocks.

Or opt for the wonderful heart with key that opens it – which works as it should and is a brilliant charm. Better yet – go for a Walter Lampl padlock from the 40’s – those work perfectly even after all these years!

Walter Lampl enamel guilloche padlock charm circa 1940

in this mechanical shamrock each section opens independantly

This is one of my favorite sellers, always fun to see everything she has, but when I found this large mechanical shamrock I was gobsmacked – each section opens individually for a small picture or memento. There’s a sale on this week so go see everything in Fitzcharming’s other items. fitzcharming’s mechanical shamrock

Speaking of saying things with charms that one can’t say out loud – here’s one I would not have been pleased to get (except of course it’s so cool that I’d forgive the gifter) Luckily I bought mine myself, but it’s rare and fun – and up on eBay right now. Made by Wells back when Weight Watchers was young this is a large impressive charm, and sadly too useful in today’s fast food world!

fun and useful vintage calorie counter sterling charm by Wells

Back in the romantic days of the Renaissance lovers exchanged tiny paintings of a single eye – or lips, recognizable only to the secret loved one, to be gazed at in secret – one wonders if in more modern times other body parts are added to photo charms.

Flowers spoke a language in Victorian charms and the red or white rose charm could express totally different passions when gifted, and hang on a bracelet with perfect propriety, the lust involved known only to the owner, and the giver.

For any feeling, from secret longing to good-bye, the expression in a charm details the life of the wearer. When she looks at it – even decades later, the feeling felt is as strong as the first time. Someone cared enough to find the perfect expression of their feelings, and a moment is captured in time.

Keep the chocolates, flowers, wine and (please please keep the appliances and clothes!) last minute perfume we’ve never liked.

There are a million charms – say something wonderful, maybe something you couldn’t say out loud. We’ll hear you, and think of it every time we wear the charm, for the rest of our lives.

So next year in California? It looks like Pasadena, the weekend of October 8th thru 10th – come early or stay later as you choose if you want to see the sights of Hollywood, Los Angeles, Disneyland etc.

I hope to have the hotel right in Old Town so everything is walking distance, but at the moment they are rather high per night, so I’m still looking. That weekend will be the Rose Bowl Flea Market for anyone interested. Further details to follow – but I would love to get some idea of the number of people we’ll be housing/driving/gifting etc?

you can email me or add your name here under comments.

Deco styling and fine German enameling make this rare 1910-30's charm a collectors dream

You have to see this auction – it’s an example of research well done and fun to read. Charms of every vintage era become history lessons , and the more we collect and learn the more deeply we appreciate the past and use it to enrich the future. This is the very essence of a sweetheart charm from the first World War. I’d love it on a bracelet with a Touch Wud and a Fums Up, with some Military Puffy Heart charms! Click here to bid on this very rare German enamel charm from WWI