PANDORA ~ Selecting the right size bracelet and charms : eBay Guides

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 Lovelinks, Troll and generic Asian ranges with smooth hole cores.

Compatibility Most charm/bead brands are interchangeble , 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 and designer beads/charms on it, consider having the chain ends and dividers filed down to a narrow diameter. I have done this successfully for customers and your local custom jeweler should be able to do the same. 

And when placing a charm onto your bracelet, I recommend holding the bracelet still if you can on the very end thread, not the thinner chain, and then twist the charm; not twist the bracelet, because if the charm is a tight fit, twisting the bracelet chain will place undue stress on the silver.

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 the auction title referring to the sterling silver, not the authentic Pandora brand - it's correct but misleading.

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 marked too, not only with 925 (sterling silver) or 585 (gold), but also their hallmark ;  ALE. They 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.

Murano / Lampwork  To add a splash of colour or match your clothing colour, Murano and lampwork beads are perfect.  Pandora's range of Murano beads have sterling silver or 14k cores, but across all the European bead range, you can buy them without cores, partial caps, full cores in solid sterling silver or plated base metal.   It is a category that you receive what you pay for, and the cheap base metal cap 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 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 what is, is important.

Charm Size 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.