My personal costume charm collection, set on a silver link bracelet and necklace extension.

It was soon after I had a good full time office job at a drafting to scale engineering post, that I started to visit the small jewelry vendors at lunch time and bought stone heart charms. Hearts were my thing then. No internet and a multitude of small retail stores that offered a wide selection of goods.

Many imported, so it was a lesson too of what was made elsewhere. I remember the 1st years of Pier1, and their emphasis on India made printed cotton cloth that smelled of patchouli, and Bali bamboo or rattan furniture and accessories.

This group of pieces dates from 1970s to 2000s, I bought many auction estate lot of all kinds of jewelry, some with bits of this and that. I especially liked the small decorative vintage clips, meant to hold a table napkin against a man's tie during a meal, as well as other tiny pins, and single earrings.

I also spent a few years making artisan jewelry with sterling silver wire and parts with genuine stone beads. You will see a few of those faceted gemstone drops on this bracelet.

P.S. The locket contains a photo of my first male golden retriever with a lock of his hair. He is in doggie heaven now.