In ancient cultures, charm bracelets were made from many things: rock, bone, metal, gemstone, seashell or wood—whatever one could reasonably get their hands on. And throughout history, the shapes and materials of charms were used to represent diverse symbols, maybe the lands you came from, or what your beliefs were, or personal talismans to provide comfort during hard times.

But whether made in 600 BC or today in 2023, from gold, or a humble piece of string, all charms share a common thread—they have a story to tell.

When I work on a charm commission, it’s always so personal. Each request is one I couldn’t easily forget. Like the mother who wanted an opal that matched the colour of her newborn son’s eyes, and the grandmother who commissioned a charm for her granddaughter, and asked for her own initials to be engraved in tiny writing beside a small diamond so that she would always feel she had her close by.

With handmade charms, no two I make are ever the same. The trick is in getting the right balance and shapes together. They are time-consuming (being so intricate and small) but so rewarding to make. Charms also allow me to play with different Australian gemstones—often sourced from all corners of the country—and curate them into one piece. It can be a bit like a puzzle, considering each stone and how it might sit against another, and when the right combination happens, the pieces come together to create something that feels greater than the sum of its parts.

To me, charm bracelets perfectly represent how we seek to represent important memories, sentiments and life milestones in jewellery. Mostly though, I have come to love how such small components can hold such personal significance, and how when a few are strung together, it becomes a story, the story of a precious life.