The concept of a charm necklace or bracelet can be traced back to ancient times, when early civilisations imbued talismans with spiritual significance. For her latest collection, the Los Angeles-based designer Darya Khonsary — who often references her Persian ancestry in her jewellery line, Darius — looked to the shapes of idols that were uncovered at the site of the Mesopotamian Eye Temple at Tell Brak and dated to the third millennium B.C. Khonsary created pieces including earrings, a ring and a charm that could be strung on a necklace, all made of 18-karat Fairmined gold. The Paris-based designer Fanny Boucher takes a lighthearted approach to charms with her brand Bangla Begum, offering a selection of trinkets with suggested meanings. Among the available trinkets are a frog, symbolising a French lover, and a chess piece, which plays on the French word “échec” (failure) to celebrate a failed relationship. Timeless Pearly’s Leslie Chetrit launched her brand in 2017 with an array of eclectic pieces, the latest being pendant necklaces variously featuring whimsical mushrooms and a gold-plated Pinocchio, all handmade in her Paris studio. With her three daughters in mind, the former magazine editor Maria Dueñas Jacobs created Super Smalls, a line for children. Her pieces, like a four-leaf-clover necklace featuring a real clover pressed in resin, are meant to be shared among family members.
Embrace Kitsch with Charm Necklaces That Cater to All Moods
For her latest Darius collection, the Los Angeles-based designer Darya Khonsary looked to the shapes of idols.
Clockwise from top left: Super Smalls necklace, supersmalls.com; Notte necklace, nottejewelry.com; Alighieri necklace, matchesfashion.com; Timeless Pearly necklace, price on request, timelesspearly.com; Bangla Begum necklace and charms, banglabegum.com; Darius chain and charms, all price on request, dariusjewels.com. Photograph by Courtesy of the brands. 