After my first trip to visit my bead maker in the Czech Republic, I commissioned a custom glass bead—a small rectangle stamped with the shape of Martha’s Vineyard. My plan was to make it the focal point of a woven wrap bracelet I was working on.
But as often happens with creativity (and international communication), there was a little mix-up at the factory. The bead didn’t come out as we had planned—and by the time we realized it, a whole batch had already been made and shipped.
Rather than let these beautiful beads go to waste, I got inventive. The rectangles didn’t work for the bracelet I had in mind, but they made the perfect pendants for a necklace. And just like that, my first Martha’s Vineyard pendant necklaces were born—originally in a single, turquoise tile bead, elegant in its simplicity and bursting with color.
Over the next few years, the necklace collection grew. We added new colors—ivory, black, coral, lavender, navy, and hydrangea blue—and our customers couldn’t get enough. But almost as soon as people fell in love with the necklace, the questions started rolling in: “Do you sell just the charm?” I didn’t feel right about it. Selling a single bead with no clear home felt incomplete—I wanted people to have a special place to hang their charm, a charm holder necklace I’d be proud to wear myself and proud to offer to our customers.
KID FRIENDLY! The necklace that spans all ages.
PRETTY AS A PICTURE. Standalone or layered options.
After what felt like the 741st request, I decided it was time. I set out to design, from scratch, a charm holder that was fun, functional, and elegant—a little piece of jewelry engineering that could become the heart of a new collection. You can read more about designing our custom charm holder here. The vision I’d been chasing for years had taken shape, and it was even better than I had imagined.
With a charm holder in hand and our bold Island glass rectangle “charm” ready to shine, I paused for a happy dance—we made it! The necklace was everything we hoped for: sculptural, unique, and functional. But of course, the story didn’t end there. The next step was obvious: we needed little delights—pearls, gemstones, hearts, shells, letters—that could hang from it and make each creation totally personal. And just like that, the Charm Bar came to life.
My team and I dug through every corner of our studio, sourcing and designing beads, shells, and elements in every shape, size, material, and color imaginable. From flowers and fruits to seaglass, starfish, and lobster claws, we created a treasure trove of charms that let each person design their own story.
Now, hundreds of options later, the Charm Bar has become a place of endless creativity, a celebration of personal style, and a way to capture the spirit of a moment in a single necklace or bracelet. And it all started with one little mistake, a batch of unexpected beads, and a necklace that refused to be just a necklace.
