By curating collections of personal talismans to hang on necklaces, jewelry lovers are carrying on a centuries-old tradition.
The cabinet of curiosities dates to Renaissance times as an encyclopedic collection of weird and wonderful objects. They could be scientific, religious, or geological, artworks or antiquities — items that caught the eye and imagination of their owner. Charm jewelry can have a similar appeal, with the owner building up a collection of personal and talismanic pieces and wearing them on a chain around the neck rather than keeping them in a display cabinet.
Parisian jewelry house Mellerio has firsthand knowledge of this hobby. Founded during the Renaissance in 1613, the family-run jeweler — now in its 15th generation — launched its Cabinet de Curiosités collection of charms two years ago, drawing on motifs from its archives.
“I’ve always taken something from our heritage, like cameos or a 1970s asymmetric star, making it anew,” said 14th-generation president and artistic director Laure-Isabelle Mellerio at a Paris presentation this past January. As she spoke, she playfully clipped her latest piece, the Renaissance-style Giardino floral charm, onto her own necklace, where it joined cameos, gemstones in antique-style settings, and gold medallions from 19th-century plaster casts.
Grainne Morton in Scotland follows a similar ethos, but she recycles items, bringing new life to antique elements like cameos, coral, talismans, gemstones and ephemera by assembling them into storytelling charm necklaces. The results are unexpected and delightful, especially the bespoke pieces incorporating items that have passed down through families. Creating a sustainable brand based on recycled elements means that each design is often a limited edition.
For Rosanne Karmes, founder and designer of jeweler Sydney Evan, “the blend of the past and present is really at the heart of what we do. I often mix those early, sentimental pieces, including my late mother’s charms, with new designs we’ve created.”
The appeal of sentimental, personally curated charm necklaces grew during the pandemic and has shown no sign of disappearing as customers continue to build their wearable cabinets of curiosities. Clip attachments for connecting the charms let the wearer edit the necklace regularly.
New York-based jeweler Foundrae’s eclectic mix of characterful gold charms, initials, and enamel motifs can hang from a single hoop on a pendant or on the links of a necklace, creating a story. Many brands even supply extra necklace links so wearers can join older personal charms to new designs.
Among the first pieces Karmes ever made for her collection were good-luck charms like the horseshoe, wishbone, clover, heart and peace sign, because “they represent luck, love, protection and hope — universal themes that continue to resonate deeply with our clients.”
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