A Charm Bracelet For Every Season

There are dozens of different charm bracelets, but one of the most interesting and elusive comes from the Danish company Pandora. The charms themselves aren't attached by clasps. Each one is designed around a hole that slides onto the bracelet instead.

Not only are the bracelets attractive, but they are also designed to keep the charms secure. Unless the reinforced box clasp on the bracelet breaks, it's almost impossible to lose them. And, perhaps more importantly, the box clasps are works of art.

Almost all of them are made with sterling silver or gold, which will likely complement the charms that will eventually decorate them. They are also designed to complement a variety of bracelet styles, ranging from silver and gold to coiled leather and woven fabric.

Most bracelets are simple, with a single loop around the wrist. A few are more dramatic, coiling around the wrist twice or thrice. The additional wraps are especially nice for anyone who wants to build a bigger collection of charms. There might be cause for that; there are dozens of different sets.

The charms that make every Pandora bracelet unique. 

Every bracelet and charm starts with a discriminating selection process. The company only selects the best shapes and brightest, clearest stones. They are shaped and polished, set aside while each silver or gold ingot is shaped by hand to create a unique work of art.

The precision required to carve even one specialty piece requires hours of care. It requires a delicate hand to set and slowly carve out the ornate designs that now exceed more than 600 individual pieces.

Some are similar to clasp charms in that each one tells part of a story. A telephone booth from London, for example, could be part of a travel collection. A frog prince might represent someone's favorite story. Or it could mean something else. The entire collection includes designs that represent a variety of seasons, events, and interests.

While interesting and exquisite, these tiny little storytellers weren't the charms that initially attracted me to write something about these bracelets. The ones that I found to be the most striking are paves, round ornaments that can be mixed and matched for subtle or vibrant effects.

The details of each pave, whether decorated with semi-precious and precious gemstones or reliant on detailed carvings, make each charm unique. As such, each arrangement becomes unique. Unlike most charm bracelets, Pandora charms don't have to feel permanent — it's easy enough to slide different charms on or off depending upon the season or occasion.

A few more graphs about the history of Pandora. 

Pandora was originally founded in Copenhagen, Denmark, as a jeweler's shop by Danish goldsmith Per Enevoldsen and his wife Winnie. In addition to selling his own work, the couple would frequently travel to Thailand in search of jewelry that they could import.

They were successful enough to transform their shop into a wholesale company for other jewelers in Denmark. The wholesale business provided a strong foundation for the company, but Enevoldsen was anxious to start creating his own jewelry again. They hired their first in-house designer in 1987.

It would be another decade before the Danish company would gain international attention for its uniquely designed charm bracelet concept. By 2004, Pandora opened in the United States, Germany, and Australia.

The Pandora Charm Bracelet Shines At 9.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

While it creates other jewelry, its charm bracelets remain the cornerstone of Pandora's work. The attention to detail is striking, right down to the chamber that slides onto the bracelets. One word of caution in regard to the jewelry: never use any cleaners that may remove the oxidation details designed as part of the charms.

You can find a large selection of Pandora charms and bracelets at REEDS Jewelers. The jeweler provides dozens of ideas and inspiration specific to Pandora. If you would prefer to browse, start with the bracelets and then visit an exclusive set of new charm arrivals, many of them discounted.