Charm Campaign

April Birthstone Bead Ideas

Aprils birthstone is the diamond, personally I think that is unfair as a diamond is pretty much always a great idea for a birthday present, but maybe that's just me.  So if you are planning on buying someone a Charm for an April birthday then look no further than any of the beautiful diamond charms available from Pandora.

 

Gold and diamonds not quite in your price range? Then you can get some equally nice silver with gold highlights and teeny tiny diamond charms from Pandora too.

 

Or if diamonds are not your thing you can get a lovely range of cubic zirconia beads and quartz beads, and if you don't tell anyone they aren't real diamonds I sure won't.  Pandora's official birthstone bead has a lovely quartz bead as a dangle, which I think would be a nice touch on any bracelet no matter when you were born.

 

Or from Chamilia you can get a lovely sterling silver and quartz heart or crystal spacer bead bead that anyone born in April would be happy to receive.  That is a terrible picture of the heart bead, but the best I could find, it does look much prettier in real life.

For those of you like me that like to mix and match your charms even Thomas Sabo has a birthstone charm. 

What Length Bracelet?

So you are thinking of getting a charm bracelet.  Maybe one of the major brands be it a Pandora, Lovelinks,  or Chamilia but they aren't that cheap to buy and you are not sure what size to get.

Well its easy to work out just what size you'll need.

Measuring Up

Firstly you will need to take a measurement with a tape measure.  

If you want to wear the bracelet the regular way, opening and closing the clasp when you take the bracelet on and off, then you will want to take the measurement around the widest part of your wrist.

Make sure you do not wrap the tape around too tightly and that it sits comfortably and that the tape sits flat so that you get the right reading. Then read the measurement on the tape, I usually suggest if its a part reading to round it up to the nearest centimetre (or half inch - see comparisson of bracelet sizes in centimetres & inches at the end of the post).

For example, if the tape measure shows a length measurement as 16.5cm. Rounding that up to the closest cm makes it 17cm.

Adding space for all your charms to fit

So your bracelet doesn't sit to tightly, and because the more charms you add to the bracelet the more snuggly it will fit you want to allow room for all the charms you are going to be buying.

As a general rule of thumb add 2cm (1 inch) to your wrist length

For example

Your wrist measurement rounded up came to 18cm + 2cm for charms = 20cm

If you intend to fill your bracelet up completely, or to use a lot of munaro glass or other large beads, or if you just like a looser fit you cand add 3cm instead of 2cm, to give a bit extra room.

Selecting your bracelet length

Using the Pandora sizings as an example

They have the following sizes available

Length

                    16cm    (6.7 inches)
                    18cm    (7.1 inches)
                    19cm    (7.5 inches)
                    20cm    (7.9 inches)
                    21cm    (8.3 inches)
                    23cm    (9.1 inches)

You now simply choose the closest bracelet length to the size you have calculated.   So in the example given earlier we would choose the 20cm bracelet.  By the way the sizing table above is correct and Pandora don't make a 22cm size bracelet so if your sizing came to 22cm (which mine did when I went for my first bracelet) can choose the 23cm length instead.            

           

Things to note    

This measuring system works with both Pandora type locks and the lobster claw style ones.  Lovelinks bracelets come with a variety of styles of locks included with the bracelet so the size given by the company are pretty accurate. 

Trollbeads brand bracelets are sold without their cute little locks, which are purchased seperately so when buying a Trollbeads bracelet remember to allow for the extra length of the lock/clasp. 

          

Some people like to wear there braclets so they can slide them on and off like a bracelet, if that's the case make sure to take your initial measurement tightly around the widest part of your hand instead of your wrist.

If buying a bracelet as a gift for someone and measuring their wrist would give away the surprise I recommend you go with the 19cm length as its the average size for most women.

Good news if you are buying a Pandora bracelet, from the many stories I've heard, and from my own experience if you buy a bracelet and find its the wrong size most Pandora retailers (I'm talking bricks & mortar shops here online suppliers can be a  little trickier) will exchange your bracelet for another size if you take it back to the place of purchase within 30 days.   Pandora have a great exchange policy with their dealers so if the store you bought it at won't exchange it, try anothe store, and remember who was nice to you next time you are out bead shopping.

Making Munaro Glass Beads

Thomas Sabo Charms Disney

Thomas Sabo has released its latest charms, and its good news for Disney fans.   The range includes a collection of bright & colourful enameled Disney charms. 

The colours mix & match with the rest of the Thomas Sabo range so you can add a great personalised feel to your charm bracelet or necklace.

Click on above image to see more detail.

For those of you that want to wear these cute charms with your Pandora beads there are a couple of options.  Pandora beads fit easily onto the Thomas Sabo leather necklaces, I have two of them in different lengths and they add a nice look to the beads, and are much cheaper than the Pandora brand necklaces.  Also Thomas Sabo sell a charm carrier that fits onto Pandora bracelets & necklaces, simply slide it on and then clip on the Thomas Sabo charms of your choice.  

All images copyright THOMAS SABO GMBH & CO

October Birthday Bead Ideas

October is here already (is it just me or is the year going worryingly fast?) and the birthstone for October is opal, unfortunately Pandora doesn't do an opal birthstone bead, which I suspect is because it would be very expensive, and also because of the way opal is formed it does not shape into beads at all and would probably not stand up to the wear and tear of being on a charm bracelet.   So Pandora have compromised and come up with a semi precious gemstone alternative in their birthstone range, a pink tourmaline bead.

Now I think that is a very pretty little charm, but I also know that pink isn't for everyone so what other alternatives are there if you are looking for a birthday present idea for the Pandora lover in your life.  I'm glad you asked.  According to the zodiac, October is the month  

 
for Librans (Sept 23rd to Oct 22nd)

and for Scorpians (Oct 23rd to Nov 21st). 

Two more different star signs it would be hard to imagine.

A warning if you are looking for zodiac beads for any of the signs alot of sites will tell you that the Pandora zodiac beads are retired and then for some reason decide this means they can charge you through the nose for the beads, I have seen them going for up to US$99.00 each.  For goodness sakes do not pay these prices, hunt around you can find lots of sites that still have them in stock and that are charging the standard silver bead rate of US$25.00 (AUD$30.00) each.

If you are looking for something with a bit more sparkle, according to astrologers the stone for Scorpians is Topaz

 

As Librans stone is also Opal, a little creativity is required to find something suitable.  How about a nice Munaro bead in opal-esque colours.  

 

The first bead is a Pandora, or for something that looks a little more like an opal, try checking out Lovelinks range, they have so many new glass beads you will have no problem finding one that looks opal like to you.

Beadring

Just when you thought there was no where else you could wear your charms, now you can wear them on a ring.  Direct from the Netherlands is Beadring.

A ring specially designed for our beloved charm beads.

They work not only with Pandora beads but with all the major brand, from the original Trollbeads, to Lovelinks, Tedora to Chamilia.  All the major, and a lot of the minor bead ranges.

  

The ring is available in sterling silver and in gold.  As all beads are not the same width, it is available with different sized bead spaces, there are 3 options: 8 mm, 9 mm and 10 mm.

The Beadring is designed, produced & distributed by Juwelier Korse from the Netherlands, and is already available in more than 40 jewellery stores there.  They have already started sales in Belguim and Germany.

For more information about suppliers check out there site here.   The site isn't in English though but it is still pretty easy to work out what is going on. 

Etsy is Charming

So you love the beads you see in the retail outlets, but part of you yearns for something different.  Something unique and handmade.   Well its time to go and check out Etsy do a little search along the lines of "Pandora Beads" or "Pandora Charms" and be prepared to be amazed at the range of handmade one of a kind beads on offer.

The above bead is from  AKDLampwork isn't it amazing, and not a thing like the beads you see in the shops.  Wouldn't that make a lovely focal bead on a Pandora necklace, be quick because I am currently toying with paying my electric bill or buying that bead.

Fancy something a little different.

 

That set is from Suuz Design, based in France, she also has recently started making Toggle beads which I haven't seen anywhere else and would be a nice unique touch to any Pandora or Pandora style bracelet or necklace.

Or for something different again, there are these lovely copper cored beads from Venbeads .  She also have some lovely red and brown ones that look fantastic with the copper core too.

There are many, many more bead makers over on Etsy, now you have finished the article, run don't walk over to the site and do a search.  Be sure to wear a bib and make sure you have someone else hide your credit card, if you like Pandora Munaro glass beads, you will be amazed at just what you can find on Etsy.

Caring for Your Pandora Jewellery

Pandora and Pandora style beads, necklaces & bracelets are not cheap so it pays to take good care of your jewellery.

Never allow your beads to come in contact with chemicals, not only silver cleaning chemicals but also the ones commonly found in swimming pools & hot tubs.  The beads are detailed using an oxidation process, to get the nice contrast between light and dark you see on the beads to show up the details.  Exposure to these chemicals will remove the oxidation which will make the detail hard to see.  Also a lot of the stones used in the bead can be damaged by chemical exposure. 

Remember also that the chemicals you use to clean your home, such as bleaches, might have an effect too.  Better safe than sorry and take your jewellery off when cleaning.

If you do wish to clean your bracelet, Pandora recommend nothing harsher than a gentle scrub with a toothbrush and some warm soapy water.  Then rinse carefully. 

To bring up the shine a light wipe with a silver polishing cloth is all you need, and they mean a wipe not a hard rubbing polish. 

When not wearing your jewellery it is possible to get anti tarnish pouches to keep them in.  I have a jewellery box lined with a similar material, and it seems to work just fine at keeping tarnishing at bay.

It is important too to keep your jewellery away from rubber.  In a recent newsletter to stores, Pandora states "We would like to remind you not to introduce your Pandora Jewelry to rubber. This includes, but is not limited to, storing it with rubber bands, rubber bracelets, or in a storage box made with rubber components. The exposure to rubber causes the jewelry to become discolored."  So be careful with rubber bands

Betsey Johnson Charm Bracelet

Don't want to wait to fill your charm bracelet?  Would you like some instant fabulousness.  Then try this Betsey Johnson charm bracelet from Nordstrom .  Being a big fan of insects (and arachnids) I think the spider charm is a delightful touch.

Even Gucci Has Its Charms

 

Run do not walk to the Gucci online shop stopping only to empty out your bank account.  Gucci is selling the cutest charms.  Now I admit they they aren't jewellery exactly,  but they are so cute I couldn't resist.  Why should your necks and wrists have all the fun, now your bags can join in.

Of course if you have one of the charms, you are going to need the matching bag to show it off to its best.