People have always used talismans to conjure up love, luck, and fortune. Symbols like the heart, horseshoe, padlock & buckle were hugely popular in the Victorian era and could be found in literature, design and jewelry of the day. Hearts symbolized romantic love or familial bonds. Horseshoes were worn for luck, padlocks protected the heart, and buckles symbolized loyalty. Victorians were obsessed with the secret language assigned to these love tokens and the elaborate hidden messages often spoke louder than words.
Most of us, as children, made friendship bracelets or rings for our BFF’s. Sure it was a fun past-time but we probably didn't realize we were continuing a trend that had been around for millennia. Expressions of friendship & loyalty using symbols such as crossed arrows, clasped hands, buckles, belts and flowers have been around for centuries. The native Americans used crossed arrows to signify friendship. In Victorian times, The buckle characterized enduring love, fidelity, strength and protection. Clasped hands symbolized the shaking of hands in friendship, the holding of hands in new love, or the joining of two hearts in marriage.
