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~ 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.
Instead of hanging, the charms & beads are drilled with a centre hole
which screw or slide onto a (approx) 4mm fine sterling silver or 14k
gold snake-chain bracelet.
The bracelet is divided into 3 segments, and
locks together by either a lobster claw clasp or a Pandora bead shaped
clasp.
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.
So using a fabric tape measure
or even string (to later measure against a ruler) comfortably
measure around
the widest section of your wrist that you intend to wear the bracelet on.
Or if buying a bracelet as a surprise gift for a loved one - try measuring
the inside of their wristwatch. Then to that length, add approximately 25-40
mm (1" - 1.5") more for the ideal bracelet size. But do keep in
mind if buying for a teenage girl, that even if her wrist is 16 or 17cm, her
hand will usually be smaller than that of a woman over 25, and I've found 7"
/18cm bracelets with small sized charms offer a nice fit without falling off
her hand.
Some retailers warn buyers that the
bracelets often stretch so choose a smaller, rather than larger size.
However, a genuine Pandora bracelet if looked after well, shouldn't stretch.
I've been wearing my 23cm length bracelets for over 2 years, full of beads,
and they still exactly 23cm long.
As the Pandora chains are fairly tight & strongly made, if stretching occurs
it is usually due to
. wearing a too tight a bracelet for your wrist size & number of charms
. constantly pulling hard on the end of the bracelet to do the clasp up
. if charms are a tight fit, some women will pull on the chain and charm
hard in opposite directions
. forcing the bracelet over the hand to take it off, rather than undoing the
clasp (beware of friends & daughters wanting to try your bracelet on & doing
this!)
The Pandora bracelets shown below have been photographed on my 16cm wrist.
If your wrist is 17cm then you know the 20cm length bracelet will be as
close fitting on your wrist as the19cm bracelet is on mine. I however wear a
Pandora 23cm bracelet, as its sits above my watch, and like to be a able to
roll it off
Pandora Bracelets displayed on 16cm wrist ~
(if your wrist is 17cm then a 20cm bracelet
would have the same fit as the 19cm on mine)
Pandora bracelets &
'Pandora style'
~
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.
Many generic versions sold are just
silver plate or gold plate over a base metal. Usually at a budget
price so great for a 'fad'. But I wouldn't recommend them for a long term treasured
jewellery item. Pandora & European charms are designed to spin and slide.
So both bracelets and charms are subject to friction and rubbing.
Therefore the plating on the bracelet will eventually wear through,
revealing the base metal and green staining.
There
are also blatant fake Pandora branded bracelets and charms on the market,
usually distributed from China. If you don't wish to pay for what is
often just copper plated alloy & tin, study the listing or web page
carefully and only buy from a seller you can trust, including studying ebay
sellers' feedback comments carefully.  
Now for the charms
~
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.
So if browsing ebay for new charms, be sure to check the manufacturer of
each piece. Some sellers' listings confusingly state 'Authentic' or
'Genuine' in referring to the sterling
silver, not the authentic Pandora brand.
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.
Authentic Pandora charms are also heavier
than most of the asian generic variety, due to being solid right to the
threaded core. Lower priced generic ranges even in sterling silver, are
usually far lighter with hollowed out interiors, so its just the end holes
that rest on the chain, but do make it more affordable for the look of a
'full' bracelet whilst saving up or waiting for the special gift of gorgeous
gemstone encrusted or solid gold Pandora charms.
And to keep them safe on bracelet,
consider adding a Pandora safety chain, or use stopper beads and clips to
prevent the charms accidentally sliding off the bracelet when undone or to
retain the desired position of other charms on your bracelet.
 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.
Budget & style, future heirloom or bargain fashion accessories, will of
course dictate what you bid/buy - but reading the description carefully
first for what isn't said as much as what is, is important.
Take the time too, to study the listing photograph/s of the charms
carefully. Outer sizes of the charms & beads in each range vary greatly,
from petite to chunky, so if you wish for your charm collection to be of
uniform size collection stick to listings that have photographs of the charm
threaded on an actual Pandora bracelet chain for a point of comparison.
 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.
If you're like me & addicted to
Pandora and other European beads, you may have several bracelets,
which of course you can wear all
at once, or to extend your Pandora look, even join them together
- forming a choker necklace with 2 bracelets or longer necklace
with 3 bracelets joined together.
.......... I hope this guide has been helpful to you - a vote at the bottom of my ebay guide page would be appreciated & any questions or
suggestions if I've missed an important FQA, please let me know.
Many of my photos above can be viewed much larger by right clicking on them &
selecting 'View Image'
I stock a few hundred different
sterling silver charms & bracelets. Its not cost efficient to list them
all on ebay, & I am gradually adding them to my website shopping cart (link
below). However, if you see an item on my website that you'd prefer to buy
via ebay, I'd be happy to list it here for you at a Buy-it-Now price on request.
www.blisscharms.com.au
Bliss*Charms is neither an agent
nor authorised seller of Pandora, Biagi or Chamilia. But all items listed by
brand name are 100% authentic guaranteed.
All photographs and text are my
original work, and protected under Australian Copyright Laws, as well as Ebay's
terms of agreement.
Any Pandora recommended retail
prices quoted, are sourced from authorised Australian Pandora sellers.
However, retailers in Australia
are not bound by the them as under Section 48 of the Trade Practices Act 1974,
it prohibits a business refusing, or threatening to refuse, to supply retailers
unless the retailers agree not to sell below a specified price.
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