Great Gift Ideas for Mother's Day

Mother's Day should be more than just a Sunday you'll forget until the last possible minute. This holiday has a long, storied tradition that dates all the way back to the early 1900s. Around that time, an American woman named Anna Jarvis campaigned to create a national holiday in honour of her deceased mother and mothers around the world. The Mother's Day Controversy The original commemoration envisaged by Jarvis was intended to be something different from typical holidays of the era. Her idea was that the celebration should free itself of cards and other generic gifts by focusing solely on personalised expressions of love and appreciation. While the founder eventually lost her battle with huge companies like Hallmark, the pure spirit of Mother's Day remains as strong as ever. Today, the holiday is observed internationally, and the most popular gifts are those that show gratitude in unique ways. Making This Mother's Day Special Mother's Day is a time to express how much your mum means to you, so your gift has to be one of a kind. Mothers and their children have unique relationships, and although there are common elements to any loving parental connection, it's nicest to give something that speaks to your mother on a personal level. Here are some great ideas on commemorating how you feel with Mother's Day Gifts that really get your emotions across.

Say What You Mean with Charms One great way to express your sentiment is to give your mother charms. If your favourite lady in the world is anything like most, she probably has her own preferences and tastes in jewellery. Instead of gifting her something that she'll feel obligated to wear, why not help her do more with what she already loves? Silver, glass, enamel, pavé and gold charm jewellery make the perfect additions to bracelets, necklaces and other accessories, and they're great ways to help your mum personalise her style. Keeping Things Unique Some Mother's Day celebrations are worthy of extra gravitas. Charms are nice because they can include special messages to your mum in addition to their already-fancy stylistic elements. These are especially awesome for commemorating grandmas and mothers who have survived dealing with you or your own kids for decades! One great way to create the perfect gift for mum on her special day is to combine charms. Pick symbolism, materials and elements that mean something significant instead of just going with what you think everyone else expects. Though the result may be unconventional, it will resonate more deeply with her because she'll know it actually came from your heart. Check out Pandora's Gift Finder to choose a Mother's Day gift that really means something special.

How Design your Own Pandora Jewellery

Designing personal Pandora jewellery is a wonderful way to display individual style and fashion sense. It is exciting to be out with friends while showing off customized jewellery creations. Besides the beauty of the metal and gems, you exhibit a piece of yourself. In many ways, you are able to turn your personality into a tangible work of art. To begin, it is important to learn how to design your own Pandora jewellery.

Since Pandora jewellery comes in attractive designs, shapes, and colors that can be mixed and matched, it is a popular choice for a person looking to achieve a one-of-a-kind effect. The Pandora website provides a special page where anyone can design a beautiful ring, bracelet, or other jewellery item. Viewing the various possibilities opens the door to infinite creativity. There are many reasons why you may want to design your own jewellery. It is a fun way to create the perfect wedding ring or match your individual style. Instead of the traditional diamond ring and band, the Pandora collection is filled with unique textures and stones. For a truly special combination, a woman may choose the "Silver Band with Cubic Zirconia Accents" and stack it with the "Midnight Blue Crystal Ring." The outcome is a modern twist on antique styling. Engraving adds an even more customised touch. To blend with this ring set, it is possible to design a bracelet that matches the overall style. Even without a ring set, you may wish to create a bracelet that reflects your personality.

When you design a bracelet, you begin with a metal or leather base. The fun starts as you add charms. By mixing and matching gems and chains, you are sure to create a special look that receives numerous compliments. Choose a bead that reflects a hobby, occupation, or family symbol or select a bauble that exudes pure glamour. Pandora makes it easy to design something that is unique to your personality. With little effort, you will be wearing a statement on your wrist or finger. Feel free to experiment so that you end up with pieces that truly reflect what you represent.

FIND THE PERFECT VALENTINE GIFT

As Valentine's Day approaches, the mood turns to romance and love. Traditionally, men give women flowers, candy, and sentimental pieces of jewelry to celebrate the day. Pandora offers numerous choices that are classic, beautiful, and appropriate for expressing love. Pandora makes it simple to select jewelry that celebrates special moments. I feel there are three top ways to honor your sweetheart and show eternal love with symbols of everlasting sentiments this Valentine's Day. Pandora's romantic pink charms, classic rings, and words of love charms are ideal. Pink is the shade of universal love, so it makes sense to select a Pandora charm in this color. The pave ball and pave heart charms add sparkle to the wrist with a feminine touch. It is also possible to spell out the word "love" on a hanging charm. These pieces are tangible reminders of infinite attachment.

Pandora's From the Heart collection is a smart way to show heartfelt devotion with sparkling symbols of love. You can select between heart shaped rings, love heart charms, heart pendants and necklaces, and gold heart charms. The "Heart to Heart" ring is a delicate reminder of how love makes two hearts become one. The matching earrings are a wonderful addition as well. Pandora specializes in customized gifts of love for women who collect charms. I have one Pandora sterling silver bracelet solely devoted to love heart charms. My favorite is named "Look of Love." The tiny heart lock is encrusted with pave CZ stones and comes with an attached key. The "Vintage Pearl Openwork Gold Heart" charm is also one of my dearest possessions. The intricate design of the heart is centered with a freshwater pearl and is the essence of class. To accessorize these charms, Pandora offers heart pendant and necklace combos as well.

Every couple has a unique love story. Pandora's Love Stories collection provides a way to wear words of love on jewelry. The "Signature of Love' necklace is a stunning piece. The word "love" is written in script as an outward sign of passionate emotion. Matching earrings, rings, and bracelets are available to create a romantic set. The "Hugs and Kisses" ring is another great Valentine's Day gift idea. The "XOXO" design is an iconic symbol of affection. I own this ring and wear it stacked with other bands from the collection. It receives numerous compliments for its delicate styling. Pandora jewelry pieces are perfect gifts from the heart, especially for Valentine's Day. The symbolism behind each ring, charm, necklace, and bracelet is eternal love. When you are looking for a unique way to celebrate your special moments, Pandora offers the perfect solution.

Valentine's Day Gifts

To me, Valentine’s Day has always seemed like a strange holiday: it can be the most romantic day of the year or completely forgettable. It all depends on how you choose to celebrate it, and above all what gift you give your partner.

Flowers and chocolates are two traditional Valentine’s gifts, but at this point they may have become a little too traditional. Yes, in movies, women always swoon for a dozen red roses, but think about it: chances are, you won’t be the first person to get her some flowers. Giving such a standard gift is like taping a sign to your forehead saying, “I didn't put much thought into this! I didn't take any time to consider you as an individual.” Jewelry is more complicated. Here, you can go very right or very, very wrong. Some types of jewellery are just as standard and dull as a box of store-bought chocolates (although typically much more expensive). A bracelet or a pair of earrings may be beautiful. But the real question is, do they express her unique personality in some way? Or are they just shiny objects, no different from all the other shiny objects she keeps unused in her jewellery box? Jewelry can be a great Valentine’s Day present, but you can’t just give her any old thing and expect her to be grateful. That’s why I really like the Pandora charms collection. Pandora offers over 600 unique charms, some gold, some silver, with many different precious stones and themes.

Charms make great personal gifts because a charm bracelet isn't just decoration—it tells a story. Each charm recalls the memory of a specific moment in her life, and she can carry those memories around with her wherever she goes. And no two charms are exactly alike. Pandora’s Pavé heart charms are elegant and glamorous, while the Love Bonds openwork charm is expressive and slightly unconventional. Think about how much better that is than some generic present. No one but you has ever given her a gift like this, so she’ll never forget where it came from. The enormity of the selection may seem daunting at first, but you can easily narrow your options down by thinking about what best suits her. Does she prefer gold or silver? Traditional or playful? If you don’t know—just ask! The Pandora line has something for every woman. By getting her a charm especially suited for her, you’re essentially telling her, “Nobody knows and understands you better than me.” And for most women, that sentiment is worth more than a truckload of boring old flowers.

How to Choose the Perfect Charm-Bracelet Gift to Make Her Wish Come True

When it comes to buying jewellery, how do you select a meaningful gift that she will really love to wear?

Whether she's your mother, beloved or best friend, the answer is simple, Personalize it! Nothing is more special than jewellery that you can design yourself and customize just for her. Creating a charm bracelet is easy enough for anyone to do, and many people recommend Pandora's extensive collection of high-quality charms because they have more choices for a well-customized bracelet with some real personality. All you need to do is check out these clever ideas from Pandora to get started:

First, choose her ideal bracelet type.

A charm bracelet can have any kind of band; leather and fabric-based bracelets are the most comfortable, and choosing a brightly coloured bracelet will help her show it off more. However, gold and silver bracelets are classics that never go out of style and suit even the fanciest occasions. Pandora's range of bracelets include sterling silver, 14-carat gold, two-toned silver and gold, leather and textile bracelets in colours like black, pink, purple, teal, lavender, dark blue and orange.

Pick the right charms for Mum.

Mothers love their children more than anything else in the world, so choose charms that remind her of you and the special bond that you share with her. Some great charm ideas for mothers include:

• silver-heart charm engraved with the word "Mum"
• "Letter To Santa" charm in the shape of an envelope that says "I've been good."
• "Family Bonds" charm that shows a silver-silhouetted image of a family with two small kids
• four sparkling number charms to spell out her child's birth year.
• silver locket-style charm that says "Sweet Mother" in silver and pink on the inside
• silver charms that represent the zodiac birth sign of each child
• silver-letter charms to spell out a short message like "Love you, Mom."

Select special charms for the one. Let her charm bracelet show how special she is to you by making it a symbol of your love. Some perfect gold and two-toned charms for the love of your life include:

• a charm with a silver cupid who's shooting a 14-carat-gold heart-shaped arrow
• "Solitaire Dangle" charm that features a silver bunch of hearts holding a miniature 14-carat gold ring with a real 0.02 carat diamond.
• Envelope charm that says "To My Love."
• charm engraved with the phrase "Together Forever."
• Number charms that spell out the date of your first night out together
• Silver "Key To My Heart" heart-shaped charm lock with a golden key

Find fun charms for a friend that show you care. Doesn't your best friend deserve the best charms? Get her cute talismans like these that will make her smile and think of the great times you've had together:

• silver charm engraved with "Best Friends"
• charms spelling out your favourite nickname for her or "BFF" for "best friends forever"
• silver and gold charms of her favourite animals
• stiletto-heels charm or designer-sunglasses charm if she's a fashionista
• royal-crown charms if she's a diva

Start your search by trying Pandora's free gift-finder application or browse for Pandora gifts by jewellery type, price range and colour.

A Special Gift For Every Occasion

Are you out of gift ideas for your special someone this Christmas? Whether you a buying for a partner, sister, mother or aunt, charm bracelets give you the opportunity to create a unique piece that fits the personality of the wearer. Here are some ways that charms are one of the best present ideas for Christmas, birthdays and any other special event.

Charms Are Easy To Hide For the Ultimate Surprise

Big-ticket presents can be hard to keep a secret, but charms are easy to store away before that special occasion. This is especially helpful when you are giving someone the gift of a charm bracelet unexpectedly. When you just want give gifts for your girlfriend without having to wait until a holiday or birthday, charm bracelets let you keep the surprise under wraps until the right moment during an evening out.

Take the Hassle Out of Gift Giving

How many hours have you wasted scouring the Internet to figure out what to get the women in your life? Gift giving is often a tedious process, and the joy of giving a present to the people who matter most to you can be overshadowed by the time you take trying to find that perfect gift. Charm bracelets are ideal because people with all different personalities and style choices love these jewelry pieces.

Personalise Your Present

Impersonal gifts make it seem like you don't really know anything about the recipient. She might feel like you don't care, so it's best to opt for a gift that reflects her unique personality. Charm bracelets do just that. You can choose charms according to hobbies, careers or interests.

The fact that you get to choose the charms for the bracelet means that you can customize it according to the occasion, too. Whether you are giving a gift for Christmas, a birthday or even a wedding, Pandora charms have you covered.

Pandora Goes Beyond Charms

If you've already fallen in love with the beauty of Pandora charms, you can give the gift of a winter ring from Pandora. These rings feature silver and blue accents that reflect the season for which they are made. While the designs and colour schemes are focused on winter, Pandora winter rings can be worn throughout the year.

When you need a special gift for every occasion, look no further than Pandora jewelry. Not only are their charm bracelets beautiful and versatile, but Pandora winter rings can add to the look with themed patterns and colours to match the season.

Pandora's Bracelet Designer

I am constantly amazed at how technology has changed the way we do almost everything. We have reached the stage where we can pre-plan our shopping trips using software applications to sample the choices and test-drive the merchandise, so to speak. Jewellery retailer Pandora has turned shopping into a virtual adventure with the use of its Bracelet Designer, an onboard app that lets customers design their own charm bracelet.

Working with the Bracelet Designer

Pandora’s Bracelet Designer can be accessed from a tab on its homepage. Intended as a tool for customers to try out various combinations of charms, I found this tool easy to use. The app is intuitive with no complicated set up or instructions to read. The only choice provided for the starter bracelet is the Essence Silver Bracelet with a bead clasp, which makes this part easy. I selected that by clicking the Add button. The price of each piece is given on the same view, a helpful feature to keep track of the costs of my charm bracelet.

Selecting the charms is the harder part, and it isn’t because the Bracelet Designer app makes users jump through technical hoops. It’s because there are so many charms to choose from with each one more tempting than the next. Click on the Add button to add charms to the bracelet or Remove to take off unwanted charms. A really nifty trick is to use the cursor to rearrange the charms on my bracelet.

Charm Selection

Thumbnails of the charms are arranged by theme. The first page presents character and virtue choices with the charms engraved with words such as dedication, dignity and spirituality. The next is a selection of charms representing astrological signs, and the third set consists of inspirational charms with words like faith, hope and happiness. A fourth set expands on the character and virtue selection presented in the first set with choices such as balance, prosperity and courage.

The charms are made of gold, silver or white gold with each one featuring intricate details along the sphere. The designs on the all-metal charms are particularly detailed. Other charms add colour by incorporating materials such as carnelian, synthetic ruby and lapis lazuli.

It was really hard to narrow down my favourites to a few. Clicking on the charms brought up a larger view with interesting details in full focus while clicking on the Info link brought up a description of material, colour and price.

The Bracelet on my Wish List

Using Pandora's Bracelet Designer was an interesting way to explore different ways to build a charm bracelet without spending a mint and with the option to change my mind as often as I want. I loved all the coloured charms, and I would choose all of them regardless of what they represented.

I don't think I would be able to stop at just one charm bracelet, so I'm off to post my wish list on my social media accounts to make friends and family aware of what I want this Christmas and many Christmases hence.

Charm Bracelets: An Introduction For Novices

It's been a while since I first started this blog and I thought it might be good to do a short introduction to charms and charm bracelets in general, especially a bit of history and basics of collecting charms. If you're a beginner then some other good posts to get acquainted with charm bracelets might be my styling for Christmas post or the Cleaning and Caring post.

Charm bracelets have been around since ancient people first figured out a way to string bits of rock, bone and twigs to wear as body adornment. However, these ancient charms were not worn for decorative purposes alone; each charm carried a certain symbolism special to the wearer. Charms could be worn as amulets, lucky charms or as healing objects.

Bracelets that Tell a Story

Jewellery has borne witness to important events throughout history. Bracelets, neck pieces and head gear have provided rare insights into the life and times of generations before us. The practice of using jewellery to mark significant events has become even more entrenched in modern times, and the low-key charm bracelet is the accessory best suited for accumulating a lifetime of stories on one’s wrists.

Charm bracelets appeal to women and young girls because of the ease with which the wearer can customize the design and personalize the jewellery. There are countless choices when it comes to charms, including animals, graphic emblems and alphanumeric symbols. The charms on a bracelet can be a collection based on a single theme representing hobbies or special interests or a hodge-podge of charms inspired by special moments in your life. Look to Pandora's themes, particularly the occasions theme for some really good ideas that can mark a milestone or special occasion in your life.

There aren’t any rules when it comes to building a charm bracelet because the key is to put together a piece of jewellery that is meaningful to you. The charm bracelet is, possibly, the only piece of jewellery that grows with you. Charms can be added on or older ones replaced to express new interests or portray new experiences.

How to Express Yourself with Charm Bracelets

The base bracelet could be a simple chain, a strand of durable leather or a metal-based band that would serve as the foundation for the links. Traditional-style charms typically dangle from the base bracelet through fixed or non-fixed links while the charms for European-style bracelets are hollow beads that thread through the base bracelet. The charms are interchangeable and bracelets can be layered to create the look of statement jewellery.

The key is to choose the bracelet that is compatible with the theme and the style of charms you intend to collect. Consider starter sets from Pandora that come with a base bracelet and a set of three or four charms. Add charms as the mood inspires you. If you are the organized type, add charms according to a planned theme such as one memento for each birthday. You can use spacers to set off each charm or string them continuously until the base bracelet is completely covered.

A charm bracelet can be as simple or as elaborate as you fancy. It is a very personal type of jewellery that evolves and changes with you. Let your charm bracelet tell the story of your life.

Building The Perfect Fairytale Charm Bracelet

My two nieces have been visiting recently and that’s meant one thing – endless Disney movies! They were also admiring my charm bracelet and it got me thinking about what the perfect fairytale charm bracelet would look like. This would make a perfect birthday present (if only a few charms to get the girl’s started) and really put anybody right in the magic of charms and charm bracelets. So here’s my take on what I would put on the ultimate fairy tale themed charm bracelet.

Step 1: Add in the stories

Fairytales are great stories full of wonder and imagination – so add in some of the most iconic fairytale charms from Pandora. Here I’ve selected the Fairytale Castle Charm, the Frog Prince Charm, the Fairytale Mouse Charm and the Fairy Tales Book Charm – all instant reminders of the Fairytale genre! This will instantly make the bracelet an obviously fairytale themed charm bracelet, but there are still a few more charms ideas we can add to push up the level of magic and imagination of the theme!

Step 2: Add in a bit of nature

Almost all fairytales have a strong element of nature in them. Even modern fairytales like Frozen and Brave feature stunning scenic shots of nature. It also play an important part in the stories as this is where you’ll find the troll, elves and magical beings residing. So, for our charm bracelet a touch of nature is certainly warranted. Here are the Tumbling Leaves charm, the Birds and Branches charm (a personal favourite), the Pink Rose Garden silver fixed clip (floral clips are a great idea to add nature to your charm while still keeping the fairytale charms center stage) and the nature spirit charm. Look for a bit of colour as well, like the forest green faceted charm or even a wood charm if you were lucky enough to snag one before it got retired.

So now the bracelet is looking pretty magical and mystical – a perfect gift for a young girl to start her charm collection, and its sure to be something she’ll cherish and remember forever. You don’t have to get all of these charms by the way, just a couple will surely be enough to astound any young mind. The only thing left to do is add a bit of sparkle – a must in any bracelet!

Step 3: Add a bit of shine!

Again, we want to keep the fairytale charms the focus of the bracelet, and it would be best not to overshine them with any sort of huge cubic zirconia piece or pave ball. I’ve picked out a few smaller dangles, clips and spacers that should add just the right amount of sparkle to the bracelet to complete it. Here is the Symbol of Protection hanging charm, the Pave Inspiration Spacer and the Pave Star Clip, all great neutral additions to any budding bracelet.

So good luck out there for anybody who’s thinking of building a special fairytale themed bracelet! If you have any other ideas that have worked well then shoot it over and feel free to send me a picture of your gorgeous creations. If you’re stuck for ideas the Pandora Fairytale section is another great place for ideas.

Pandora Zodiac Charms

The latest in Pandora’s Essences collection is an addition of 12 charms – all with a Zodiac theme. I’m near crazy about anything that’s even vaguely related to astrology, and these new Zodiac charms are a huge stylistic and detailed leap up from the old sets we had to work with. I couldn’t be more excited, and even came across this cool app here http://essencezodiacs.pandora.net/ that does through the zodiac and the charms for your month. Here’s a rundown for anybody’s who’s in the dark about the zodiac calendar!

Capricon (December 22nd to January 19th)

The star sign for Capricorn is a stylish looking goat and the personality matches as such – people born in this month are determined (as stubborn as a goat), ambitious and hard workers! Capricorns are perfectionists and likely to dress well no matter the occasion. As for partners the Capricorn values honesty and thoughtfulness.

Aquarius (January 20th to February 18th)

The Aquarius sign is a guy holding a jug of water – elsewhere I’ve seen just water or waves to represent this star sign. Aquarians are fun and free spirited, a bit of the opposite to the grounded Capricorn. Aquarians should look to an Aries as partners as both have similar natures.

Pisces (February 19th to March 20th)

The Pisces is a fish and apparently one of the most spiritual of the zodiacs meaning they are sensitive to their feelings and the emotions of others. As fish these people naturally love the water and seek out the other fish star signs like Cancer, Libras and Scopios.

Aries (March 21st to April 19th)

The fiery ram is another strong and energetic star sign. As determined as the Capricorn goat, Aries come across as great leaders and enthusiastic individuals. Fire what Aries should look for in a partner, along with the Leo and Sagittarius star signs.

Taurus (April 20th to May 20th)

You probably know the Taurus as a bull and the personality is the same – a hard working and headstrong character. A great thing about Tauruses are that they are a loyal and when they find their match they’ll stick to them no matter what!

Gemini (May 21st to June 20th)

The creepy twins! The Geminis are explorers of new experiences and super sociable. Geminis are also known to be a tad fleeting, and luckily gifted in natural beauty.

Cancer (June 21st to July 22nd)

The friendly water dwelling crab is the animal of the Cancer star sign. With a lot of water dwelling signs the theme seems to be emotions and Cancer is no exception! As with the other water dwellers, try to jump in the pool with another crustacean.

Leo (July 23rd to August 22nd)

A firey lion, the Leo is another natural born leader like the Aries. The proud personality makes these types of people happy showing off with a passion. Leos need somebody just as fiery and passionate as them to match their passionate natures.

Virgo (August 23rd to Spetember 22nd)

With a beautiful woman, the Virgos are described as those with calm and gentle personality and people that are wanting to reach out and help others. These people are all about helping the earth and healing the environment.

Libra (September 23rd to October 22nd)

A set of scales indicate that Libras are balanced and harmonious people with a sense of justice and longing for peace. Exercises like yoga, running and swimming that are more relaxed and meditative and great for the ponderous Libra.

Sagittarius (November 22nd to December 21st)

A bow and arrow, the archer is another firey and full of energy sign. Fun loving and optimistic, Sagittariuses are most compatible with other fire signs such as the Leo. For more info on your star sign charm head over to http://www.pandora.net/en-au/.

The Summer Lookbook – My Take on Summer Style

The Summer 2014 collection dropped a few months back, containing some cool charms – most specifically some very bright and vivid colours which I’m loving. It’s been called the ‘To Travel is To Live’ collection over here as it’s a Winter, but a bit of colour is always welcome to try and warm us up.

First and foremost, as an Aussie Charm Fan I have to show the charm that I’m most excited about in this collection – it’s an Aussie kangaroo charm! With the stars of our flag printed across the charm it’s a must get charms for any Aussie and a fantastic souvenir if you’re visiting the country (be sure to pick up the Opera House charm if you are passing by Sydney too!).

Onto the collection. I’ve been inspired by the season’s look book which has some fantastic colour combinations and ideas – here are a few styles and colour combinations to try out!

Colour Combo: Orange and Gold

By far the favourite look from the look book and the ‘Summer’ collection is the bright, tropical orange colour that is featured in a few charms like the flamingo dangle charm, the new multi layered fabric bracelet and my absolute most coveted pieces – the flower Murano glass charm and the orange multi faceted glass charm. I’ve decided to pair my soon to be new purchases with whatever gold charms I have to accentuate the flow and shine of the pieces. I think the gold will really mesh with the orange without overdoing it and being tacky. If you’ve already tried it out let me know how it looks, I’m sure it will be a guaranteed eye catcher!

Colour Combo: Teal and Black

The other colour in the collection that really stood out was an ocean sort of fresh teal. The Murano wave patterned charm was a top catch in the new batch of charms. To make the colour pop on these charms I’m thinking a neutral colour is best to bring out the teal tones – and here I’m thinking the black leather bracelet will work well with the teal of the bracelets. Silver rings with turquoise stones would also work well to continue a themed look across your outfit.

Special Charm Mentions

Well I couldn’t round off my review of a new season collection without mentioning all the tidbits of great charms that came around this time. I’m a personal fan of the pineapple, clover and seahorse charms above – I think they’ll work great as pendants on a lengthy silver necklace or as usual as an addition of the bracelet and everyday sort of use. So there you have it! The Summer collection is one to remember and certainly a favourite of mine. Tell me if you’ve been inspired by my colour recommendations, or if you’re looking for more inspiration you can check out the look book for the summer 2014 collection – it does have some very beautiful looks paired with great outfits!

Cubic Zirconia vs Diamond

In the past four or five collection I’ve been noticing a lot more uses of cubic zirconias in Pandora’s jewellery. The recent collection of alphabet charms had cubic zirocnias in pretty much every alphabet charm in the range. In the newer Pave style charms it’s usually cubic zirconias – both coloured and clear that are used, though I have seen a few glass ones released as well. So with so many floating around I thought I might take a look at what a cubic zirconia actually is and share my findings with you all! Cubic Zirconia vs Diamonds Cubic zirconias have a fairly infamous reputation for being used in scams as they’re so close to diamonds – a lot of people say it’s impossible to tell the two apart! The two are very close in appearance, but cubic zirconias are constructed from synthetic processes, unlike diamonds which are made from natural pressure and heat processes in the earth. This makes them much easier to produce and the main reason why Pandora’s cubic zirconia pieces To tell them apart its always best to take a piece to a jeweller, but a popular method is to scratch a mirror with the stone and see if it makes a mark. Diamonds are one of the hardest materials, so they will leave a scratch without being blemished themselves, but cubic zirconias are less likely to be able to scratch mirrors. As Gems As gems, both cubic zirconias and diamonds have the same sort of effect, but because it’s harder and more durable, the diamond will keep its shine for much longer over the cubic zirconia. This is part of the reason why a lot of people choose diamonds for engagement rings – because they are ‘forever’. As far as charms and general fashion goes though, it’s a bit of a different situation as we certainly don’t want to fork out an engagement ring level of cash for a charm every month! There are also a few pieces that have diamonds if you look at the charms-with-stones section.

The New Alphabet Collection From Pandora

Pandora are no strangers to letter / alphabet charms, but the Alphabet and Symbols collection released this season is something quite special! Below’s a short comparison of the previous letter and alphabet charms that were available – a huge difference. I personally love the new charms, it’s much more refined with the cubic zirconia studding and overall style and design. The new shapes are much easier to read from a distance and work much better as an alphabet charms.

On the site there’s even a cool little alphabet charm speller which is a pretty cool way to preview how a combination might look. A few cool ideas are also in the look book and the new Summer (our Winter) collection. Anyways share your opinion of the new alphabet charms and whether you’ll be getting one!

My Top 4 Favourites From This Year’s Spring Collection

The Spring collection is here from Pandora Global, featuring flowers in lilac, lavender and pink along with a whole lot of butterflies. There are some real ‘gems’ in this collection (pun intended) that are total must gets on my personal list as well as many other’s I’m sure. Here are my top 4 pieces from this collection that are real stand outs!

Fav Piece 1: Light Blue Butterfly Kisses Glass Charm

There’s one in light blue/purple and one in pink/purple – the only worry is to figure out which colour suits you best! The glass is clouded over a bit, giving the charm a kind of dreamy texture which fits with the Spring theme and collection. The butterfly and heart design look absolutely fantastic on the website, but I will definitely be seeing it in person to get a feel of how it works with the light and on the bracelet.

Fav Piece 2: Vintage Butterfly Silver Ring With Cubic Zirconia

This is a charm blog – but I just couldn’t go past some of the great rings in this collection, particularly this silver butterfly ring with cubic zirconias studded on the outside of its body. The design is some of the best I’ve seen from Pandora – stylish and simple with lots of class. This would match great with some of the other flowery rings in the collection or any of your own flower themed rings to create that Spring time feel. It’s far too tempting to buy this with the flower ring and put the two together to make a butterfly scene.

Fav Piece 3: Purple Faceted Earrings With Sterling Silver And Cubic Zirconia

I’ve always been a huge fan of glass - my personal favourite and it’s something that I think Pandora does best and they’ve showcased it here with these faceted glass earrings. The colour of the collection seems to be centred mainly around the flowery purples and pinks – though this is a popular colour in many of Pandora’s charms, and these colours shine no better than in these multi faceted glass drop earrings and the coloured cubic zirconia.

Fav Pice 4: Artist Palette Silver Hanging Charm, Cubic Zirconia

When I saw this is almost instantly became my new favourite charm! I promise you it will be the first thing off the collection I’ll be getting as it’s got such as unique idea and gorgeous look. The detail on the paintbrush is amazing, but of course it’s the coloured cubic zirconia on the artists’ palette that are the real stars of the charm. It’s a way to put colour on your bracelet that I’ve never seen before and something I hope to see more of. A beautiful piece!

Of course, like every collection that comes out we’re spoiled with a full pack of great and memorable pieces to put on our bracelets and our collections. Check out the Floral Brilliance Openwork charm, the princess spacer or ring or ever experiment with the new alphabet charms if you're looking for something bit different. But here are my favourites but don’t hesitate to pick what suite your style or whatever theme you’re working on - see all of it here.

Australia Day Charm Styling – Top charms for an Aussie feel

Well Australia day might be over, but the long weekend has left me in a particularly patriotic spirit and as the writer of the Aussie Charm Fan blog I’m compelled to celebrate the next few weeks rocking some Aussie themed charms. Here are some themes and looks I experimented with from my collection for a stirring Aussie feel to my outfit.

The Green and Gold

The official Aussie colours are a great way to show your true colours in the Summer sun. If you’ve got a gold bracelet or any gold charms then now’s the time to bring it out to complete the theme. The closest you might get to green in the bracelet section is the teal bluish-green leather material. As for charms there are a ton of choices, but the most appropriate would be the bright green Murano glass charm with a gold trimming one of my personal favourites in the Murano materials, though it has been retired for some time I was lucky to pick one up from a friend a while back. If you have any sort of amethyst or lime green jewellery that might be appropriate, throw it on the bracelet and see if it works!

Aussie Themed Charms

While there might not be an official Australia day charm (I can’t think of a design that wouldn’t be too tacky) you can trawl the collection to come up with some Aussie themed gems that are more than appropriate for your bracelet. Top of the list is the Sydney Opera House charm, a bonus if you live in Sydney like myself. The charm is also a great deal and you can pick it up at the Sydney Opera House’s shop if you’re just in town visiting. Some other charms that I thought would be perfect would of course be the super cute silver Kangaroo with a baby joey in its pouch or the dolphin, not unique to Australia but commonly seen around our beautiful beaches.

Apart from these you can think outside of the box and go for some of the beach and seaside charms that were released in the Summer (Aussie Winter) collection earlier this year. I felt there was a bit of a European feel in the colours and shapes that were chosen, but it would still be appropriate given the huge beach culture over here and the great weather we’re getting right now.

Whatever charms you think is the best from your collection to go on your bracelet, I think the go to look for this Summer and this Australia Day is something a bit more relaxed and casual. Try toning it down with just a couple of your favourites and a few spacers on a leather bracelet which fits perfectly with a relaxed afternoon on the beach of in the backyard!

3 Tips For Pandora Summer Style

It’s officially Summer which has hit us in full swing this December with some blazing hot days. The Sun’s out, the beaches are packed and it’s time to start thinking about what charms to fit in with the season. Here are 3 simple tips about style as well as care to have sparkling style with your charm bracelet this sunny season.

1. Caring for your charms – Summer means swimming pools, beaches and a bit of sweat with the sweltering heat, all of which aren’t exactly ideal for charm bracelets. Chlorine is a big no-no for charm bracelet and really any kind of jewellery that you’re wearing. This along with other chemicals in the swimming pool will risk dulling the shine on your bracelet and in certain cases can turn your charms and other precious metals black! If you’re wearing charms with oxidation the effect can be ruined, in some cases permanently. Remember to take your bracelet off before swimming and if you happen to take a dip accidentally with your charms then try to rinse them as soon as possible to avoid the chemicals and salt being on the metal’s surface for too long.

2. Daily Care – With Summer comes Sun and heat, but also more sweats and oil from your skin building up on your bracelet which isn’t just gross but can dull the gemstones and cause damage through abrasion as the charms rub together. The official guide to care tells us to wash our bracelets and charms regularly in hot soapy water as maintenance to remove oils I’ve experimented with a few more ‘professional’ cleaning products but haven’t noticed too much of a difference for regular daily cleans and there are certain risks with different metals that could cause damage, so I’ll stick with hot soapy water as I’m not cleaning expert. However, I’ve also had the charms professionally cleaned which you can do at most official Pandora outlets and there’s nothing like it – sparkling and fresher than ever!

3. Summer Styling – The season of the Sun is best celebrated with a splash of vibrant, happy colours. For this season I’ve been fawning over some of the pieces in the 2013’s Summer collection (released in Australia’s winter) which had a huge Italian/European feel to it with whites, reds and blue and a red scooter which has been at the top of my wish list for a while now. Enamel charms are a great way to combine splashes of colour to highlight your bracelet and fit in with the celebrations around you. My personal favourite for an Australian summer would definitely be some of the deep blue and teal Murano drop charms of faceted glass which bring a drop of cool colour that reminds people of the sea and the beach.

Wherever you are this Summer and whatever you’re doing have a ton of fun and relax in the sunshine! Take care of your bracelet and party it up with style.

The Pandora Christmas Collection Is Here!

The festive season is upon us, and to charm fans around the world that means that we get new charms from Pandora in the new Christmas collection! This year is quite standard, but combined with a ton of new stuff from the Essences collection; we’re being spoilt with new goodies this Summer. In this post I’ll go through some pieces that I think will make great gifts, my favourites from the collection, and some styling ideas with the new charms!

Christmas Gifts – Things to think about Choosing the perfect gift for Christmas isn’t the easiest thing in the world, to be honest. If you’re looking to induct somebody into the world of charm loving and Pandora then take a look at some of the premade bracelets featured here, though it is a tad pricier. You have to pick something that they’ll love, and when it comes to jewellery it might be necessary to include the receipt in case they want to exchange it because of sizing (or if it’s really not their style). Here are some simple tricks to get a gift that’s sure to be loved this Christmas, even if they don’t have a Pandora bracelet!

One of the best things to do if in doubt is to look to the Rings and Earrings collection. These pieces are super easy to get for sizing (simply take a look at their favourite ring) and also work well for anybody’s style. This year there are some fantastic Pave rings that would be suit any style or occasion – work, going out of just weekend casual. Another great option if you don’t fancy anything you see in the new Christmas collection is one of Pandora’s simple birthstone rings. It’s an easy pick that’s personal to the receiver!

Earrings are much the same but are even easier to buy since you don’t need any sizing info whatsoever. I’m a personal fan of the Pave and Star/Heart studs, though these might be a bit seasonal in their use. The Murano drops are a great piece as well – instantly classy without breaking the bank.

For The Charm Fans – Best Picks From Christmas This Christmas collection isn’t letting up on adding in charms that are sure to become classics. For me what stood out what the Carousel silver charm (791236). I think this charm is the most detailed piece I’ve seen from Pandora in a long time with tiny heart shapes at the top, oxidised silver around a beautifully intricate horse and a tiny golden top to add a bit of colour. This is something I definitely have to see in store for myself, but the way it caught my eye made it a definite addition to the wish list.

If you’re looking to treat somebody who has a charm bracelet, then the pinecone, Christmas tree and magic silver sky charms are wonderful pieces that would work on any bracelet without setting you back too much. Overall the theme of the new charms is more around festivity and the giving season, though there are quite a few specifically around Christmas if its big in your culture. For styling your bracelet this season the festive Murano drops are a great way to elegantly bring colour to you wrist, though the splashes of red enamel in the Pine Cone, Candy Cane and Santa charms are a good way to go. As for myself, I’m looking through my collection for duotone pieces to construct a sparkling centrepiece for my outfit – which should look something like this.

The Pandora Essences Collection – Why I’m Excited!

If you’re an incessant visitor to the official Pandora site like myself, then you’ve probably seen the new page promoting the very soon to come out Pandora essences collection. If not then take a look for yourself here for the collection, though you may need to sign up towards the Pandora club to get access to the promotional materials. This is by far the most exciting collection to come out and I think it’ll be a huge success, attracting Pandora fanatic present, past and future. It seems to really embody the Pandora spirit on unique and beautiful moments and the charms are really something different with some elegant designs and different material. Here are just a few reasons why I’m so hyped up about this new collection and some of my (preliminary) favourites!

Unique Charm Meanings & Designs
Some of these charms are totally unique and just a few of the new ones that really stand to me are Faith, Trust, Health and Positivity. These ones use precious stone materials that I haven’t really seen featured in any of Pandora’s previous charms and even things like ‘Green Adventure or Aventurine ’ and ‘Magnesite’ that you don’t really see often in other jewellery brands. There are also some awesome designs that either work with the charm’s gemstone like the dark stains in the ‘Positivity’ to provide a really enchanting texture or the craftsmanship in ‘Trust’, ‘Health’ and ‘Happiness’ that embody the elegant Pandora style. I’ve had a good look at each of the new items in the collection and have got to saw that Freedom, Compassion and Honesty are my must-gets as their design and meanings really struck out to me. In addition I think Faith and Energy and pieces I’ll put on my wish list – they are virtues that I feel I need a bit more of (doesn’t everyone!) and the gemstones might help transfer some energy over.

Materials and Their Meanings
The other thing that I love about this collection is the array of new materials that they’re using. The whole reason I love Pandora is that I can remember exactly where and when I got each charm on my bracelet, giving each one meaning and significance. It’s heaps different from any other kind of jewellery in that I can wear it every day and have it as both a fashion accessory and a bracelet of memories from significant milestones in my life. Some of the materials that stand out to be are Love’s rose pink moonstone (or quartz)and Faith’s purple Amethyst that remind me of a bit of royalty.
The charms still haven’t been released, but I couldn’t be more excited for this particular collection and review them. The only hard part is choosing what to get first!

Forgotten Collection – Pandora Earrings

Everybody knows Pandora is all about the charms and charm bracelets, but not many people rave about the other Pandora collections like the earrings, rings and watches which also follow the unique and intricate look of Pandora charms and can make really nice complements when matched perfectly. It was my birthday recently and knowing that I’m a major Pandora freak in general my friends got me a few things from Pandora amongst them a pair of Pandora earrings! It got me thinking and when I looked at the extensive earring collection on the Pandora website I realised that the earrings match really well with some of my charms and bracelet themes. Here are some combinations that I think would look great:

Glass With Glass

Here are the earrings I got and I looked at a charm from the most recent collection I treated myself to a few weeks back – a black and white cherry blossom charm that I usually wear on my black leather bracelet with just a few clips and silver charms in a minimalist style. The glass on glass look goes really well together, especially the black and white theme that would look even greater on a simple summer outfit or even something more formal for the office. Anything Pandora does with glass becomes my instant favourite so I’ll be sporting this look a bit more often in the coming months.

Liquid Silver

Even the most casual Pandora collectors will have at least one of Pandora’s iconic silver charms. Some of Pandora’s most famous charms like the love heart, Scottie dog or golden nightingale have beautiful textures in shiny reflective silver, sometime contrasted with oxidised silver to make the shiny surfaces stand out even more. With earrings I saw a few on the collection that I hadn’t noticed before that would match really well with these charm styles. There are quite a few styles and designs that you can choose that’s most comfortable or appropriate for your face shape, but they all have that same liquid silver look that complements any silver charms you have perfectly. The silver look is great for more formal dresses like glass and work really well to contrast against some vibrant colours.

For Gemstone Charms

Pandora’s release of Pave style charms put gemstones in the spotlight on many people’s charm bracelets. Usually charms didn’t really feature gemstones, though a few in the new seaside collection had cute blue topaz stone embedded in eyes and pearls in the clam mouths. The liquid silver and glass earrings might clash a bit too much with these types of charms, but looking for a set of earrings with similarly coloured gemstones can make a great complement to bring out the gemstones in your charms. For the most part Pandora charms’ gemstones are in a red, blue or white and similar colours are across the earrings range to match up nicely. Have a look at the gemstone category of the charms page http://www.pandora.net/en-au/explore/products/charms#!791108TPP/subcat/11/stone/!01 for some more ideas.

Thoughts On Pandora’s New Season Collection

Living in Australia which is on the other side of the world Pandora’s headquarters in Denmark I’m used to seeing new collections from Pandora that are totally out of sync with the season that me and my fellow fanatics are living in. Sometimes it’s great with like the recent spring collection that came out in our Autumn and reminded me of some nice floral patterns. This time it’s the Summer ‘By The Sea’ collection that’s coming out in our Winter, but in Australia we’re in no shortage of Sunny weather and to top it off there an Opera House charm in this collection! A perfect addition to the theme of ‘By the Sea’ I might add and a definite must-buy for myself as a Sydney-sider and proud Aussie! As for the rest of the collection….Here are my thoughts:

European Seaside Themes

If you’re thinking of a seaside theme then a great country would be the romance and history of the Europe countryside with its villas and winding roads along the bright blue sea. Pandora is based in Denmark as I mentioned before with designers residing in Europe so it isn’t too much of a surprise that they chose imagery such as the famous gondolas of Venice and Vespas that are so popular around Italy. Personally I’m most impressed by the scooter silver dangle with extensive red enamel colouring and a cubic zirconia making a cute headlight. I could see it perfect for anybody who owned a scooter and might go well on your keychain but I’d be careful of scratching the bright red enamel coating.

Vibrant Triple Layered Leathered Bracelets

As always the pieces of each collection go amazingly well together and this Seaside collection is no different. Here we have triple layered leather bracelets that aren’t exactly meant to be stacked with charms like the more traditional single banded silver or black leather woven bracelet, but would look great either on its own or in my opinion, with just a few charms or clips spotted around the length of material. My favourite colour would definitely be the turquoise colour, perfect for the Seaside Theme and would look stunning with the scooter charm!

Cute Crustaceans

A new Pandora collection would be complete with at least a couple cute animal charms. This time around we’ve got some sea dwelling creatures with a fish, seashell and a baby crab. As usual these are the charms that really pique my interest but the seashell silver charm holding a tiny pearl that wins my favourite for the Seaside collection. If you’re looking for the perfect charm for your niece, daughter or granddaughter I’d definitely recommend the silver fish with blue topaz eyes though. A cute, but elegant and long-lasting gift for a young lady for sure!

Special Mentions

This new series of charms is jam packed with some great stuff that’s sure to be Pandora classics – I’ve got my eye on the scooter dangle in particular. In addition a few more things caught my eye: a classy cubic zirconia studded pair of tiny sunglasses, a brightly coloured beach ball and something that will definitely go on my wish list no matter what – a blue and yellow enamel beach balloon with a brilliantly details silver rope wound around it.Along with that there are some new Pandora rings that build on the stack centered ring collection that has been built up along the years and some nice earrings too.