On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Mark Zuckerberg stood on the Meta Connect stage in Menlo Park and pulled out a small gadget for his Muse AI agent. Reuters reported his pitch this way: the whole Muse experience, voice and avatar included, packed "into something that fits on a keychain and is always available to talk to." Meta has not said how much it will be, and says it is aiming to ship in time for the holidays in December.

I like that it is called the Muse Charm, because people have worn small protective objects on the body for thousands of years. The word amulet comes from the Latin amuletum, which Pliny's Natural History describes as "an object that protects a person from trouble." The oldest ones found in Egypt date to the predynastic Badarian period. Same instinct, new battery.

Here is the catch for shopping: Meta has not put the Charm up for purchase, so I will not pretend you can buy it. CNBC notes that experts see no clear sense of market demand given how good phones are, and Meta says more details come later this year. What you can buy now is the thing the Charm leans on: glasses that already talk to Meta AI.

The frames come first. The Ray-Ban Meta Skyler in shiny black with green lenses is the rounded cat-eye I would pick for a gray October commute, and the Skyler in chalky gray with sapphire Transitions is the softer version of the same shape. The Headliner in matte transparent peach is the playful one, the Zena is the sharper angular cat-eye, and the Wayfarer in shiny black is the safe answer for anyone who hates deciding. If you want a rounder frame, the Oakley Meta HSTN in light curry is the one I would look at. Try them with your hair up and down, because temples sit differently over a ponytail.

Charm necklaces are the oldest part of this story, since the Romans hung amulets on cords and even wore small gold boxes around the neck. The Thetford treasure from Norfolk includes a gold box made for suspension around the neck, found to hold sulphur for its evil-repelling qualities. I find that more charming than any slogan pendant.

The Mejuri zodiac pendant in 18k gold vermeil with a white sapphire is the closest modern cousin, a single round medallion on a fine chain, shown in Aries but offered in all twelve signs. The BaubleBar evil eye necklace is the loudest nod to protection, with three turquoise charms and bead rondelles on a ball chain that sits 19 to 22 inches with a 3 inch extender. For a charm you build a mood around, I would look at the Ana Luisa Everyday Charm necklace: bow, butterfly, heart, flower and cherry on a paperclip chain.

Layering is where these go wrong. Put one pendant at collarbone length and keep the second chain plain, so the charms do not tangle. Test it by turning your head fast in the mirror and listening for clinking.

The Kendra Scott Rory, the delicate cluster of tiny charms, the Boxbar hiker and the more crowded Boxbar It Girl necklace all fit this idea too. What I would skip: a heavily loaded charm necklace under a chunky knit, where the pieces catch on the wool.

A bag charm is a luggage tag with better manners. It tells people which one is yours, and it gives a plain tote an attitude without changing the bag. Fruit is the running theme right now: the Coach Cherry charm is a glittery red resin cherry on a brass dogleash clip, and the Coach Strawberry charm sits on a split key ring with a hangtag, so it works on keys or a handle.

For something softer, the Kate Spade Charmed Flower bag charm is a cluster of leather flowers in plum and magenta on a gold-tone ring clip. It looks good on a black bag in October. The Tory Burch Multi Charm Bag Chain is the busiest option, a silver chain, 8.6 inches long, with a resin strawberry, pave clover, enamel pig and baroque pearl. The Tory Burch Lock and Key charm is the calm one: tan calf leather bell, leather-wrapped padlock and a metal key, looping around a handle.

There are also a dark red and black beaded swag chain, a glittery strawberry on a green beaded strand and a gold heart locket with a pink cord bow, all easy ways to try the look.

Before you buy, check the clip. A dogleash clip should snap shut firmly and not open when you swing the bag. Hang the charm and walk across the room.

What I would skip: a heavy metal charm on a thin shoulder strap, which will pull the bag crooked.

Phone charms are the most honest cousin of the Charm, because they hang from the thing you check the most. Wrist straps make even more sense in a crowd, on a train platform or at an airport with a coat over one arm.

The Sonix beaded phone chain, with flower beads and a gold charm tab, is the cheerful, busy one. The Sonix icon version has little red cherry bows, which would look sweet against a black case. The floral stone chain is more grown-up, with stone and floral beads and gold hardware. I like the two Velvet Caviar bow charms, one burgundy leather and one pink, because a bow reads soft and still looks tidy on a clear case. The Case-Mate beaded wristlet in Sugar Rush is candy-colored and a little silly, in a good way.

Then there are the two with an anchor card: the Kate Spade heart of gold, and the LoveShackFancy gold chain with dangling charms made with Case-Mate. The anchor card sits between your phone and case so the strap holds.

Test the strap length with the phone in your hand and then at your wrist, and make sure it does not drag on the table when you set the phone down.

What I would skip: a long dangling chain on a phone you take on calls all day, because it will hit your cheek.

A locket is the charm that carries a secret. It opens, and what you keep inside is up to you. That is the same job a Roman amulet box did around the neck, just with a photo or a note instead of sulphur.

The Catbird Dollhouse locket is a solid gold house-shaped pendant on a fine chain, and Catbird also makes the Dollhouse heart locket, which opens and can be engraved. The Kendra Scott Bethany heart locket is bolder, a gold heart on a statement chain in 14k gold over brass. The Adornia oval locket has a cubic zirconia starburst, and the Tiny Tags heart locket has a crystal accent.

Charm bracelets are the other way to carry meaning. The Mejuri paperclip chain bracelet in 18k gold vermeil is built to hold clip-on charms, so you can add one at a time. The BaubleBar Pisa bracelet has five customizable charm slots beside classic pisa beads. The Susan Alexandra pet portrait bracelet is colorful and made for the person whose dog is the whole personality.

Check the clasp first. A locket should snap closed with a firm click, and a bracelet charm should be on a proper jump ring, not just a loose loop. Open and close it ten times in your hand.

What I would skip: an engraved locket for a gift without checking the spelling twice.

I would begin with what exists today. Pick one frame of Meta glasses if you want the talk-to-your-AI part, and leave the Charm on the wish list until Meta shares a launch date and the details.

Then add the meaning the old way, with something you can touch: a locket for the person you carry, a bag charm for the bag you use daily, a phone strap for the phone you check too often.

Zuckerberg called the gadget "this little guy." People have been hanging little guys around their necks since Egypt. This one just answers back.