Every year it’s the same drill: the Christmas decorations go up ever closer to the Halloween decorations just barely coming down!

The next thing you know, it’s Thanksgiving.

Then it’s the time for good cheer, for gathering our family and friends together and for celebrating the many joys of the season.

That’s when the morning paper weighs a ton because of all the sale circulars for the mother of all shopping days, Black Friday.

Sure, there are good deals to be had, but oftentimes getting to those deals requires dragging yourself out of bed at oh-dark-thirty so you can join the rush for the much-desired loss leader at your local retailer when it opens before the birds even start chirping.

Of course, the Internet has changed all that. It’s now quite possible (and even feasible) to make it through your entire shopping list without leaving the comfort of your warm, toasty home. You can even find some excellent deals that way.

But there’s still one problem with this comfy scenario: what do you get for that person who seems to have everything? What do you buy, other than clothes, for that person who is into fashion? What do you get for someone that really loves something personal? All these, and more, are where Italian Charms come in quite perfectly.

Italian Charms make great gifts for moms, dads, friends, and more. There are literally thousands and thousands of designs to choose from – and with many priced under $10, you’re sure to find something to fit your budget (OR, you can afford to get a few!)

As far as styles, you can select one designed for the person that collects a particular theme, like elephants, cats, angels and many more. Even better yet, you can get a Custom Laser Italian Charm or a Custom Photo Italian Charm!

These custom Italian charms allow you to choose your own name, phrase, or picture and have it placed on an Italian Charm – what better way to give a fun, fashionable, and most importantly, a thoughtful gift!

Italian Charms?

Ok, here’s the “brief” in case you’re new to the Italian Charm craze. Charms and keepsakes have been around for thousands of years, but it was not until the 20th century that charms became decorative fashion jewelry.

In 2001, fashion industries made it popular once again to wear charm bracelets. Since then a huge flood of styles and brands have entered America and most all of them have been accepted with open arms. Walk thru a crowd of people and you are almost sure to see a few bracelets, most of which have precious memories captured inside.

While traditional charms dangle, Italian charms feature individual pieces soldered flat onto the surface of a charm link. These flat, modular pieces form an Italian charm bracelet when they are hooked together.

Here’s the best part: since Italian charms have standardized sizing, they are compatible across brands!!

Building a Bracelet

The standard sized Italian charm is 9mm, which is measured diagonally across the piece. However, Italian charms are also available in small (5mm), large (13mm) and mega (18mm) sizes. Usually it takes around 16-18 charms to build a full bracelet.

When looking into purchasing Italian charms, you will come across the term starter bracelet. You will need to begin with a starter bracelet, which consists of eighteen blank links. In order to create a personalized Italian charm bracelet, these blank links are replaced, one by one, with selected designs of Italian charms.

The best bet is to replace around 3-5 of the blank links with Italian Charms – this will make a nice-looking Italian Charm Bracelet. Or, just start with 1 or 2 as a gift, and you’ve given someone a new collectible hobby!

Getting Started – Choose a Theme!

Italian charm collecting is similar to creating a wardrobe that is thoughtfully put together to reflect your personality and taste. Before you begin purchasing individual charms it is a good to decide on how the pieces will work together. You will want to choose a theme for your bracelet. This theme could be anything – a list of family names, pictures from a vacation, animals, hobbies, or anything that you think fits!

You may want to focus on one color or even color combination. With so many choices available in charms, you can get as specific as you’d like with your theme. Another idea is to make a keepsake bracelet that tells your life story. With this kind of a theme, your charms can be selected or even custom made to commemorate achievements, and various aspects of your personality and life.

Where to Buy?

Purchasing Italian charms on eBay is exciting because there are thousands from which to choose. Often times you’ll find quick-selling auctions that start as low at $0.99, at the same time, finding some of the most beautiful and high-end Italian Charms on the market.

And with that, Happy Holidays and Happy Charm Shopping!

Getting Creative with Italian Charms

Buying birthday gifts is tough! We want to give the perfect gift. Sometimes we just don’t know what to buy. This is what I faced this year as my long-time friend Amy’s birthday approached. What to get her? What to get her!

Amy’s favorite thing in the world is her little pug, Fluffy. She loves that dog! She also loves Italian charms. I thought to make her a Fluffy-themed Italian charms bracelet with custom and pre-designed Italian charms. As I was choosing Italian charms for Amy’s bracelet though, I had an Italian charms epiphany: Amy would love an Italian charms collar for Fluffy!

I picked Italian charms with doggies, ordered Italian charms with Amy’s pictures, Italian charms with Fluffy’s pictures, Italian charms with Amy and Fluffy together. I also bought standard Italian charms to fit the doggy theme. The collar was packed with photo Italian charms, laser Italian charms and painted Italian charms. It was beautiful! It was a blast!

By the time I put the Italian charms collar together I was really excited. The Italian charms looked great! What’s better, Amy loved Fluffy’s Italian charms collar and Fluffy did too. She said it was the perfect gift! Ooh the things you can do with Italian charms: the possibilities are endless!

Before modern Italian charms were created with flat links, Italian charms bracelets featured dangling Italian charms with designs and symbols. The fun, nostalgic style of dangle Italian charms revives the popular Italian charms bracelets of the past. Dangle Italian charms go as far back as the 1950s and even Queen Victoria’s England!

Dangle Italian charms do differ a bit from the Italian charms of yesterday. Dangle Italian charms begin with the modern modular charm piece. Like other Italian charms, the piece is embellished with a hand painted, laser or photo design. Then, a dangling piece is affixed to the Italian charm on a loop creating dangle Italian charms. The “dangles” are securely attached to the charms but hang freely to create a cheerful style. The added accoutrement of dangle Italian charms really plays up the Italian charm’s design and theme.

Wear dangle Italian charms for a festive look at the holidays, celebrations or special occasions. A dangle Italian charms bracelet truly adds flair and retro style to any ensemble. Also, get creative when you mix and match standard Italian charms with dangle Italian charms for a unique look!

Pugster’s hand-painted Italian charms are created through a multi-step process that results in beautiful, vibrant designs that are individually crafted. These special, carefully made items are one-of-a-kind! Each design embarks on a journey, passing through several hands to ensure that its quality is top-notch and uniqueness is maintained.

Creating the Image

The charms may begin as an idea from one of our in-house artists, or as a suggestion from a customer with a special request. From either source, our artists create new designs for Italian charms on a weekly basis. Once an idea has been conceived, its computer generated image is transferred into a physical mold.

Creating the Charm

The next step in the making of a hand-painted charm is the creation of the actual charm link. A gold plated charm face is soldered to a stainless steel backing. Soldering allows for maximum durability and quality, ensuring the long life of this small work of art.

The Hand-Painting Process

An artisan follows the mold of the chosen design, using a computerized matching system for true and vivid color exactness. Enamel paints glow with richness, matching every shade of every color imaginable.
A needle-sized painting tool allows for intricate detail and more complex designs on the face of the charm. This is accomplished without compromising the quality of the hand-painted look. Once the charm has been painted, it is topped with a lustrous epoxy coating. The epoxy adds sheen as well as serving as a protective coating for the hand-painted treasure.