The ’90s called, and they say charm jewelry is back. These dangly pieces are making the move from the racks of Free People and the necks of celebs like Gigi Hadid to the Capital Region.
Charm bars are on the rise at local shops and events. From buffet-like selections of pendants, customize the chain of your choice.
Grace Robichaux, owner of Designs By Grace Jewelry Co. in the Village at Willow Grove, has often seen past trends take on new lives. She regularly refreshes her inventory to reflect signs of the time.
Today, she dons a thick herringbone chain, a style with ancient ties that saw surges in popularity during the ’80s and ’90s.
“I think trends just always make a comeback,” Robichaux says. “I don’t know why the charm necklace is all of a sudden (popular). … I had to take advantage of the opportunity, because everybody wants one.”
The charm selection at local boutique Designs By Grace
Robichaux says she started sourcing gold-plated charms for her shop as soon as she saw the trend pick up in other states. Now, she tries to stock about 30 pendants along with a variety of necklace and bracelet chains to choose from. She keeps pliers and jump rings handy so she can build out jewelry for her customers once they make selections.
“I think there’s 35 different variations in there,” Robichaux says, while standing over her store’s charm bar. “I like to stick to the daintier charms, because that seems to be what people like. I have a few select chunkier ones in there, and the dainty hearts, stars and ones you can easily blend together to make a necklace.”
Like a charm
More places to find charm jewelry
Designs By Grace has a charm bar at the front counter of its Village at Willow Grove storefront.
This online boutique recently relaunched its website, stocked with tons of new apparel and a selection of one-of-a-kind necklaces created by owner Jenee Esquivel.
Forever Lillies, known for its permanent jewelry, has also dipped into the charm trend with non-permanent, 18-karat gold-plated chains with a rotating selection of charms.
Customers can browse the Clinton maker’s collection of gold-plated and brass options with pendants in the shape of pickleball paddles, bows, dollar bills and more.
Did you know you can create your own necklaces at this Perkins Road shop? In-store and online, Wanderlust offers a charm collection that can be mixed and matched.
The mother-daughter owners use repurposed, vintage and brand-new charms to gussy up plain ole necklaces.
How to make your own charm creation
Designs By Grace
Yank your chain
First thing’s first: Pick the base. Thick or chunky—anything is fair game. The thickness will help determine which charms to dress it up with.
Decisions, decisions
Choosing the charms is the hardest part, Robichaux says, but there’s no limit to how many or how few you can add. Her advice: Go with an odd number to balance a main charm with a few on the sides.
Order up
After picking the baubles, it’s time to decide where they’ll lay. Robichaux recommends starting with the biggest pendant in the middle and building around it.
Put it all together
Once the customer is happy with the placement of the charms, it’s time to build. In just a few minutes, charms are fastened to the chain. The result is a unique piece that’s ready to wear out of the store or pop-up event.
This article was originally published in the January 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.
