~ How to select the best length Pandora bracelet & charms to fit ~

For those who are unfamiliar with the Pandora bracelet system, its a gorgeous &  modern version of a charm bracelet.

The beads can be left to spin & slide or be pushed tight together together by the use of clips.  Fantastic in its simplicity but offers a huge variety of styles, colours, themes & gemstones so you can individualise your bracelet to match your clothes, the occasion, your memories and your budget.

So, ready to start? ~ Whether you initially choose  a snug or very loose fitting bracelet, keep in mind if you intend to wear just a couple of beads/charms or eventually fill the bracelet completely, and what size charms; small silver and/or large Murano glass  ~ the more charms, the tighter it becomes.

Many buyers have also asked me what the main difference is between the bracelet chains of designer brands  and cheaper generic versions. 

Apart from price in Designer vs budget, in many examples I've seen and tested, there is a marked difference in the finished quality, weight,  strength and density of the bracelet chains.  Even when 100% sterling silver, the snake chain twirling links on cheaper bracelets are frequently spaced further apart (see close-up pics of Pandora vs generic), whereas Pandora's & the other main designer chains have smoother, closer snake chain links making the bracelets more flexible and therefore stronger.  The wider spaces on the cheap snake chains are more prone to kinking, stretching and breakage.

That said however, given that young teen girls fall in and out of what is 'hot', &  that their wrists and hands will grow, the cheaper silver bracelets, can be a great starting base, and the charms later switched to a larger bracelet or better still, yours :)  Extension chains can also be added to lobster/parrot claw clasp bracelets, lengthening them as required.

There is a huge variety of European charms on the market by the main charm bracelet designers'such as Pandora, Biagi & Chamilia,- with threaded hole cores, as well as Troll, Lovelinks and generic Asian ranges  with smooth hole cores.

Most charm/bead brands are interchangeable , however be aware that Lovelinks bracelets require a bigger hole sized bead than Pandora' and that most of the Troll range have smaller sized holes than Pandora. If you have a Lovelinks bracelet but would like to wear Pandora or the other designers charms in it, consider having the bracelet end cap & two dividers filed down to a narrower diameter. I have done this successfully for customers and your local custom jeweller should be able to do the same. 

And on the same note, be sure of exactly what you're buying when beads are listed as gold or silver. 

For example listings should be clear if the metal used is solid 925 sterling silver, silver plate or just costume silver tone. And of course gold, in what purity - 9, 14, or 18k, and whether plated over brass or vermeil over 925 silver, gold filled (heavy plating) or solid. 

 

To add a splash of colour or match your clothing colours, Murano and Lampwork beads are perfect.    Pandora's range of Murano glass beads have sterling silver or 14k cores, but across all the european bead range, you can buy them them without cores, partial caps, full cores in sterling silver or plated base metal.  It is a category that you receive what you pay for, and the cheap base metal caps styles are often known to break, but their low price does mean you can completely & quickly change the main colour of your bracelet at a very low total cost.

New Pandora charm designs enter the market every season, and some former ones are retired,  & many retired charms already have become collectors' items & far exceed their original retail price.

Pandora do have necklaces, ear-rings and other accessories such as their gorgeous clasp opener - inserted into the bead clasp it quickly levers it open - no more chipped nailpolish.

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