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.

Joanne Schwartz is an avid collector of antique and vintage jewelry. Her personal library includes more than 100 vintage jewelry catalogs, and she is a member of the Society of Jewelry Historians. Ms. Schwartz is active on the Northern California antiques show circuit. \nJoanne is a lifetime resident of Silicon Valley, California, where she lives with her husband, Bob Schwartz, and their son, Harrison. She holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Santa Clara and is employed in the high-technology industry. She wrote this book to justify buying a ridiculous number of charms and catalogs.