Cat charms, photos, links, silver, gold, vintage, rare & new, thousands of charms now available.

Whether you wear them on a bracelet as a pendant or simply want to start a collection, there is something for everyone. You can collect in themes which can make a stunning bracelet for example, cat related items, or just collect ad hoc when something takes your fancy. Many charms (mechanicals) open on a hinge to reveal a hidden item inside, others have moving parts for example, wheels on a car. There are many vintage charm designs available mainly from the sixties and seventies which offer an amusing insight into the times.

                                         cat bin & fish bone (fish inside bin); 

    Choose your charms carefully and buy from a trusted source where the dealer is knowledgeable about the product. Look for a full guarantee on your purchase and expect to pay a small fee for good packing and postage. Always check the sellers feedback to get a picture of what to expect.

   cat in bin (opening)                

   If you want to attach charms to a bracelet it is essential you either have them soldered in place by the small 'jump link' or alternatively use a 'split link' this is like a miniature key ring link (a sprung double coil). The quality and detail of a charm does vary so photos of the charm are important in making a decision. The best charms are three dimensional and solid rather than flat stampings or lightweight holloware which the high street chains delight in passing off. Welded Bliss charms are original models and therefore retain all the detail which make these charms so unique and fun to collect.

cat licking paw                                         sitting cat                       

  Italian charms are a modular system of regular shaped flat charms which slot into a fixed design bracelet, and are not dealt with in this guide. American charms can be similar to their British counterparts but perhaps with more obvious stateside influences. There are also many British 'Americana' charms available, for example the Statue of Liberty opening to the Empire State Building.

   small cat                                        

  You first need to decide on silver or gold. Silver is considerably cheaper than gold if you are budget concious. Silver charms start at a few pounds and may cost rather more for heavier, more complex, detailed or rare charms. The price of gold charms will be affected more by the weight but the other factors still apply. Silver charms may be hallmarked but typically they are unmarked or stamped with the word 'sterling' or marked 925 (the sterling silver purity number) Heavier charms are more likely to be hallmarked either on the jump link and sometimes on the body of the item. Hallmarks are of neccesity small (so the item is not damaged at the assay office) and may not always be immediately apparent. All new silver items must be hallmarked under current British law if the weight is above 7.78 grams. Gold items must be hallmarked if above 1 gram in weight.

  arched back cat

Welded Bliss have the UK's largest range of charm models around 1000 different charms. They are all available in Silver, yellow, white and rose (red) gold in 9 and 18 carat. Also available are charm bracelets and split links in silver packs of 10, and 9ct gold packs of 4.

Please view our range of charms available for immediate purchase online at the Welded Bliss Ebay shop. Please click the following link after registering your vote below.

Welded Bliss Charms

9ct gold kitten with toy train and clockwork mouse

     puss in boots                                                      

         owl & pussy cat (moving sail)

     meg & mog (rocking broom)

There are several books on charms published, three currently available as follows:

Charms and Charm Bracelets by Joanne Schwartz ISBN 0764321293 Schiffer Publishing. 192 pages. Amazon price £34.94, cheaper direct from States - This is the best all round book on the subject.

Charmed Bracelets by Tracey Zabar ISBN 1584793341 Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang. 96 pages. Amazon price £8.36 - A pleasant enough book with some nice illustrations, a taster book!

Charming The Magic of Charm Jewellery by John Ayton & Deborah Alun-Jones. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0500512132. Amazon price £9.06 - What a dissapointment. Thames and Hudson are renowned for publishing good Art and Design related books, well researched and illustrated. This book is a complete letdown. A small book though the cover looks promising, but apart from a couple of good photographs notably the gremlin charm bracelet by Cartier 1943, there is little of interest to a charm collector. Many of the pages are given over to mundane celebrity shots or black backgrounds with little text - all style and no content. It reads like an advertising feature for 'Links of London' which is basically what it is.

More guides published by Welded Bliss:

WELDED BLISS DIAMOND GUIDE

WELDED BLISS GUIDE TO GOLD

BRITISH CHARMS BY WELDED BLISS