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!