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.