Vintage Slide Charm Bracelets
Slide bracelets are a type of charm bracelet with charms that slide onto the bracelet chain instead of dangle from them. The bracelet itself is a double chain that threads through holes in the charm. Each charm has four holes for the chains to feed in and out of, and often there are spacer beads between the slides. The clasp is like a buckle and most quality slides must be attached by a jeweler, although some of the newer types have connectors that can be removed at home.
Slide bracelets gained favor in Victorian England. They began as a decorative accessory to a watch chain or necklace. Women added watch fobs that were made into slides as necessary to move the watch up or down on the chain, and also to prevent the chain from twisting. Sometimes they cut the heads off of stick pins and fashioned them into watch chain slides. Image credit from Flickr.
Once the ladies wristwatch became popular, in around 1920, jewelers began making ornate slides from precious metal and gemstones to add to chains on a watch band. Women collected slides to coordinate with different outfits and eventually began wearing them as a watch band on one wrist and a bracelet on the other.
Slide charm bracelets have remained popular, although most of the Victorian bracelets were either worn out or are in private collections. Most of the slide bracelets today are very nice reproductions. I started a collection of 14K gold slides and then realized it was likely going to take longer than I wanted to wait to collect enough charms due to the price. I ended up selling the ones I purchased. But if I ever come into some extra money you can be sure I’ll be searching the online jewelry sites for slide charms. I just love them.
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Category: Creating Bracelets
About the Author (Author Profile)
Wanda Fitzgerald is a Florida native and an vintage charm collector who loves to share her adventures in an e-commerce jewelry business with anyone who is interested.Subscribe
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