While recently visiting the Macklowe Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York (a treasure trove of Twentieth century jewels), I stumbled upon a group of vintage 1940s cuffs that may have inspired the charm bracelets we know today. According to Tracey Zabar, jewelry designer and author of The Charmed Bracelets, very few of these cuffs were ever made and only purchased by the very wealthy—perhaps due to the fact that each time a new charm was added, the owner had to pay a visit to her jeweler to have the charm soldered on to the bracelet. These chunky cuffs eventually paved the way for chain link bracelets and removable charms with clasps, a more democratic way to wear your memories. 
