I once waited for an hour to have my name put on a grain of rice,  when I got to the front of the line, there was no "rice writing" machine but a chap with a small brush, a pot of ink, pair of tweezers and the biggest magnifying glass I have ever seen!  Well that same guy has all the equipment and necessary skills to enter the photo charm business!

The eye-popping photo charm style features actual photographic images embedded under a clear enamel overlay. Stainless steel creates a sparkling backdrop, creating a lighting effect through the enamel to add shine and luster. These unique charms express your interests, passions and personality with crisp, bright pictures.

The Making of Photo Charms

Like standard Italian charms, Italian photo charms are set on 9mm stainless steel backing. Instead of hand-painted enamel plates, a plate displaying a miniature photo is set on the stainless steel.

Where the Rice grain guy would be able to place a small photo on a charm aided by his magnifying glass, add a drop of solvent and bake in chemical oven overnight, he would have to make a dozen or so as the failure rate is so high, (Bubbles, discolouration, movement of phot etc) much better the method used by Pugster -  a specially designed photo printer is used to print the images on genuine Kodak photo paper, then, once sized they are affixed on a gold plated charm backing set on stainless steel. With other methods, discoloration commonly occurs over time. The special process guarantees that the photo will not become damaged at any point.

Each Italian photo charm manufacturer uses a different process to make these charms. The manufacturer’s method will dictate the quality of the charm images. Look for photo charms printed in a high resolution. These images, even when enlarged, will remain crisp and clear. High quality photo charms will be free of fogginess or graininess that you might see elsewhere.

Types of Photo Charms

There are two basic types of Italian photo charms. With the first, an actual photograph is printed and sized to an Italian charm. With this type, an image is either photographed or purchased by the manufacturer.

Photo charm images can also be created by an in house design team and printed with the same techniques described above. These images appear cartoon-like and two dimensional. With this technique, photo charm possibilities are infinite. Similar to laser charms, names and phrases can be drawn onto photo charms. Also, they can be printed in color to enhance the unique style.

Photo Charm Styles

It is easy to create a themed charm bracelet when you select Italian photo charms. They are available in many categories, ranging from exotic animals, pets, nature, patriotic, hobbies, artwork, characters and many more.

Custom Photo Charms

Photo charms are available in hundreds of styles and designs. If you still cannot find what you’re looking for, customize your order. Photo charms can often be created from your own personal photographs. Customize your Italian photo charms to show off images of your friends and family or pet. Submit your cherished photo or favorite phrase to create a truly personalized piece of jewelry.