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Colleen's 1970s

Charm Bracelet Tour

At last year’s Thanksgiving dinner, I heard whispers of my grandmother’s friend, Colleen's gold charm bracelet. I had seen Colleen sport some beautiful jewelry over the years, but I had never seen the elusive charm bracelet that she casually mentioned was filled with large 14k coin-shaped medallions.... She was not exaggerating! 

I visited Colleen in Palm Springs to photograph the bracelet and discuss the stories behind each charm. 

Colleen received her first charm in 1972 and added to the charm bracelet until the 1990s. The bracelet is loaded with sentimental 14k medallions with romantic inscriptions and diamond accents. Each charm was gifted to her by her late husband Bob throughout their marriage resulting in a beautiful collection that mirrors their love story.

She spoke highly of his great taste in jewelry and reminisced about how he would surprise her with a new charm for an anniversary or on a whim. The tradition started because, “He was sentimental and he just saw one [charm] that hit him, and then once he got it, he got the bug.” 

Let’s take a look at all 8 charms!

'MERCI FOR MAKING ME FEEL THE WAY I DO'

Merci Charm by RJ & Co.

Bob gave Colleen this charm for their 1st anniversary. Colleen recalls that, “He said that I deserved a medal for our first anniversary”

The front features a star shaped medal with diamond, ruby, and sapphire accents. The reverse is engraved, "FOR MAKING ME FEEL THE WAY I DO".

'Come Fly With Me'

Plane Medallion by RJ & Co.

Colleen received this charm in 1973. “I had never been on an airplane before I met him, and he took me on my first flight.”

The cut out details paired with the diamond accents is so eye-catching. This is one of my favorites on the bracelet!

'NO ONE ELSE CAN LOVE YOU MORE'

More Charm by RJ & Co.

Colleen identified this charm as one of her favorites. The romantic message engraved on the reverse completes the sentence.

Since I had not seen photos of the bracelet before the day of the interview, I was pleasantly surprised to find it featured 4 highly sought-after RJ & Co. medallion designs. I knew even before seeing the hallmarks on the back that these were RJ & Co. pendants; the coin edge detailing and pave diamond details gave it away!

Dove of Peace

United Nations New York Medallion

This charm was a souvenir from a trip to New York.

Colleen shares, “It would have been in the '90s, the early '90s. Just wandering around New York. Christmas time is wonderful. And we stayed across the street from the United Nations building. We would go in there and have breakfast, and they had a gift shop. We wandered around. And so he bought that for me then.”

'THANK YOU FOR HAPPY AND MEANINGFUL YEARS'

Thank You Charm by RJ & Co.

This charm embodies the romantic theme of Colleen's collection. The diamond accented 'Thank You' on the front matches the 'More' medallion that is also on the bracelet.

The reverse reads, 'FOR HAPPY AND MEANINGFUL YEARS'.

Rose Medallion with Diamond accent

Anniversary Rose Medallion

Colleen was gifted this rose medallion as an anniversary gift.

The details on this piece are beautiful; The diamond accent in the flower, the bow tied around the stem, and the radiant textured background are all signs of a well-made piece.

chaque heure je vous aime dé plus en plus

Plus en Plus Clock Medallion by Merin

This is the piece that started Colleen's charm bracelet! Colleen received this medallion and the 14k bracelet in 1972.

She shares that Bob saw an ad for this pendant in the Wall Street Journal. The romantic inscription resonated with him and sparked his interest in charm collecting.

The French charm reads, “Chaque heure je vous aime dé plus en plus” which translates to, “Each hour I love you more and more”.

Dollar Sign with Diamonds

Custom Dollar Sign Charm

This diamond encrusted dollar sign charm was the last addition to the charm bracelet and was custom made in Los Angeles.

Chloe: What's the story with the dollar sign one?

Colleen: I cost a lot.

We laughed as she shared , "I had seen someone on TV with a little dollar sign necklace. I said, I want a dollar sign charm and he had it made."

'I Wore It daily'

On Collecting...

Colleen wore this bracelet daily and Bob surprised her with new charms over the course of their marriage. "I never knew when I was going to get another one."

Colleen's bracelet exemplifies everything that I love about charm collecting. Your jewelry collection is an intimate reflection of your life. Collect slowly and build around the symbols you naturally gravitate towards. A collection that commemorates milestones, honors your passions, and nods to loved ones will evolve with you overtime.

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