Tell me about Pandora Bracelets

[cruisnfamily]

I know nothing...absolutely nothing....except that they are very expensive charm bracelets.

Thinking about getting one with maybe 2 charms to start off for my 22 year old daughter .

Are there different styles?
What would 20somethings like best?
Where is a good place to buy? Is online a good choice?
Average pricing?
Are there commemorative charms...for special occasions?
What else do I need to know that I'm not asking about?

 

[cabanafrau]

I have to keep mine in a special pouch so it doesn't tarnish. It's a pain to unfasten. The clerks at my local store are not customer friendly. If I buy Pandora I buy at independent stores who simply carry it, as they seem to appreciate my business. I prefer buying Brighton charms.

 

[shoney]

Is this something that they have expressed interest in lately?
They were all the rage there for a while, but I really don't see a lot of people wearing them anymore. I know mine has been in the jewelry box for over a year.

 

[firecracker725]

I know nothing...absolutely nothing....except that they are very expensive charm bracelets.

Thinking about getting one with maybe 2 charms to start off for my 22 year old daughter .

Are there different styles? Yes.
What would 20somethings like best? It's been a minute since I was twenty-anything, so I can't answer this.
Where is a good place to buy? Is online a good choice? I prefer going to the store, but online is okay. You can search for an authorized retailer on the website.
Average pricing? Varies widely. Most of my charms cost in the $30-50 range.
Are there commemorative charms...for special occasions? Yes. I just got the French flag heart to commemorate our two years abroad. There are lots of different ones. Seriously...go check the website. (www.pandora.net)
What else do I need to know that I'm not asking about? There are knock-off charms that fit just as well onto a Pandora bracelet. Also, it's super easy to switch out the charms, unlike a regular charm bracelet, so you can change the look depending on what you're going for.

Answers in bold.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I like my Pandora bracelet. DH bought me the leather braided band with 3 charms and I thought he had spent too much on me, but now if he or the kids don't know what to get me, they can get a charm. I also bought the silver bracelet to wear on dressier occasions.

I bought mine at a local boutique rather than a Pandora store.

All that said, my 29 yo DD has Brighton jewelry. That may be more for the younger set.

And I forgot, they do have Disney charms. I have 2 now.

 

[cabanafrau]

Actually I think Alex and Ani is more popular with the younger set, but that's a bit different. Brighton is very popular with my friends, I've purchased some for my mother and I buy my youngest daughter a charm for each musical she's in.

 

[lizabu]

I have one and my SIL is a couple years older than me has one. My nieces who are 18 and 23 just asked for them for Grad and were thrilled to get them and my 13 yo DD asked for one for grade 8 grad. I think it's a personal thing. Some people are going to be really excited about starting a bracelet but someone with no interest in Pandora probably won't be excited about it. There are limited edition charms and I know there are charms you can only get at the Disney parks or on the cruise ship for example.

 

[Dizlvr]

This is the official Pandora site it will give you ideas on pricing and the types of charms and other jewelry they have. You can search for retailer near you too.
http://www.pandora.net/en-us

I love my bracelets and my charms and I wear one everyday. I have several Disney charms that I love and I'm asking dh for a new blue leather bracelet for them for my 42nd birthday.
I don't really see young adults like your dd's age wearing them, I see Alex & Ani bracelets on those girls.

 

[aaarcher86]

I like mine.

The colored ropes are really pretty.

 

[MrsDuck]

Given your daughter's age, I may opt for the Alex and Ani bracelets instead.

I very recently invested in a Pandora bracelet and kind of regret it.

 

[NC State]

I like my Pandora because it's fixable, Alex & Ani isn't. I sleep, swim and bath in it and had no problems. I like how hard it is to take off so I don't take it off. I do think my Pandora has stretched since I got it on the Wonder in April. Has anyone else stretched a little?

 

[lizabu]

I like my Pandora because it's fixable, Alex & Ani isn't. I sleep, swim and bath in it and had no problems. I like how hard it is to take off so I don't take it off. I do think my Pandora has stretched since I got it on the Wonder in April. Has anyone else stretched a little?

I read the book that came with mine and it said that some stretching is normal and not a reason for replacement through the warranty. I'm not sure if they mean all bracelets or just the leather ones. I haven't noticed mine stretching though.

 

[Dizlvr]

I like my Pandora because it's fixable, Alex & Ani isn't. I sleep, swim and bath in it and had no problems. I like how hard it is to take off so I don't take it off. I do think my Pandora has stretched since I got it on the Wonder in April. Has anyone else stretched a little?

Yes they stretch, even the silver ones (more like relax).

 

[Nohal]

I have a Pandora bracelet and I really love it. Each charm has a special meaning to me. I have the silver bracelet. You will want to purchase the biggest size as once you add charms to it there is less room for your wrist. Mine is full and I'm thinking about getting another one just for the Disney charms. It is expensive as the charms are silver. I think for someone your daughters age that the Alex and Ani bracelets might be more popular. Since the bracelet (either one) is an expensive investment you might want to check with your daughter as to her preference. I bought mine at our local jewelers before there were Pandora stores.

 

[eliza61]

I love mine. My sons brought it for me last Christmas and I've been adding a few charms here and there I don't think the charms are out of control expensive. they are sterling silver so they last forever.
I have a travel theme. Getting charms for all the places I've visited. I have an Eiffel tower (paris). big ben (London), empire state building and a few Disney charms.
I really like mine

 

[clori]

We felt that the Alex and Ani were more of a fad and Pandora was more of a classic that would be worn over the years. My dd15 just wears hers for special occasions.
She doesn't have many charms. I think she just had 3 that came with her initial set plus a religious charm I got her for confirmation this year. Eventually she would like to get her initial and birthstone. I do like that if she ever has too many she can pick and choose based on occasion. It is not something she wants to wear on a day to day basis.

 

[scdak]

I have Pandora, Brighton and Alex/Ani and love them all! Its just a good thing I am not married because I would not want my husband to know just HOW much I love them, lets put it this way........I think I could easily afford a weeklong stay at the GF with money to spare if I didn't love the brands so much! But to the
OP - unless your daughter has expressed an interest in Pandora you might want to feel her out about her preferences, I agree with others that she might like A/A or Brighton more.

 

[whitney250]

I'm 25 and love my Pandora bracelet They do have commemorative charms and I love the fact that they have options to mix silver, gold and rose gold. I have a Disney one, too and the charms are super cute. We have a Pandora store in our mall, but some of our local jewelry stores carry them, too. The price depends on if the charm is silver/gold and the detailing. Most of my charms were in the $50 - $60 range, but the one I have with gold was $90. If you are looking for a more traditional type of charm bracelet you can check out James Avery, they have a huge selection of charms and different types of bracelets. I have one of these as well, but the dangling charms can get agitating sometimes.

 

[cruisnfamily]

I have to keep mine in a special pouch so it doesn't tarnish. It's a pain to unfasten. The clerks at my local store are not customer friendly. If I buy Pandora I buy at independent stores who simply carry it, as they seem to appreciate my business. I prefer buying Brighton charms.

Tarnish? Tell me more! DD has some alex and ani and some have tarnished badly and others are fine....I think the silver are fine and the gold are tarnished? But I may have that backwards. If the pandora is going to get nasty looking I am not sure I am interested.

I like my Pandora bracelet. DH bought me the leather braided band with 3 charms and I thought he had spent too much on me, but now if he or the kids don't know what to get me, they can get a charm. I also bought the silver bracelet to wear on dressier occasions.

I bought mine at a local boutique rather than a Pandora store.

All that said, my 29 yo DD has Brighton jewelry. That may be more for the younger set.

And I forgot, they do have Disney charms. I have 2 now.

Tell me about Brighton! I am even more clueless about this than I am pandora.

Actually I think Alex and Ani is more popular with the younger set, but that's a bit different. Brighton is very popular with my friends, I've purchased some for my mother and I buy my youngest daughter a charm for each musical she's in.

She has Alex and Ani but I was looking to get her something really special to commemorate college graduation. I guess I need to see what Brighton is.

This is the official Pandora site it will give you ideas on pricing and the types of charms and other jewelry they have. You can search for retailer near you too.
http://www.pandora.net/en-us

I love my bracelets and my charms and I wear one everyday. I have several Disney charms that I love and I'm asking dh for a new blue leather bracelet for them for my 42nd birthday.
I don't really see young adults like your dd's age wearing them, I see Alex & Ani bracelets on those girls.

Hmmmmm, thank you for the input. Not sure what to do.

Given your daughter's age, I may opt for the Alex and Ani bracelets instead.

I very recently invested in a Pandora bracelet and kind of regret it.

Why do you regret it?





Thank you all so much for the input! Keep it coming! I was originally going to go with a nice pair of diamond earrings but honestly I am not sure she would appreciate them or get much wear out of them. She does LOVE bracelets and has many Alex and Ani bracelets so I thought the pandora might be a nice gift for a special occasion. I will look into Brighton but tell me, is it just a Pandora knock off? Or something completely different?

 

[MrsDuck]

Why do you regret it?

It was pricey and there seem to be better pieces of jewelery I would've rather invested in.