It’s time for our weekly snoop with Collector’s Corner!

This week we have a magical treat on Collector’s Corner as we chat to fellow PANDORA and Disney addict Helen. Follow her incredible Instagram account @charmdluv for daily doses of awesomeness!

Helen, first, thank you for so much for visiting us here on the theartofpandora and letting us have a closer peek at your amazing PANDORA collection. To start with, could you tell us how long you have been collecting PANDORA jewellery?

About three years now. I started collecting on Christmas 2015.

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What was it about PANDORA that made you become a collector?

A friend of mine had a wonderful PANDORA bracelet filled with memories. When I looked at the bracelet closely I fell in love with the design and craftmenship of the charms. I have adored jewellery forever but PANDORA was the first brand making it possible for me to be creative.

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It’s easy to see that you are creative with from your beautiful bracelet designs. It would be great if you could tell us a little about your PANDORA collection.

When I first started my mum and I gave each other the classic PANDORA Moments Bracelet and a few charms for Christmas.
We were planning to collect only charms as gifts, memories etc. I really loved getting charms on my travel trips and also my husband and children loved to give me charms on my birthday, or for Valentine’s Day. My husband even felt relieved he could get me something I really loved ? But about two years ago I discovered Instagram and decided to share my designs. Because of the wonderful PANDORA community my collection has changed and is really more about collecting. I buy a lot more than I should of course! And with the release of the PANDORA Disney range in Europe, my collection has expanded very fast. So in the last year I have gotten more into the PANDORA Disney collection. A never ending story ?

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I can definitely relate to that. It looks like PANDORA Disney has taken over my collection! So Helen, do you have any rare or hard to find pieces in your PANDORA collection?

I don’t believe I do. Some of the PANDORA Disney charms have become hard to get, but that is because they are retired now.
I only buy what I like and not really because it’s retired or hard to get.

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It seems that more and more charms are being retired. Some are retired after only one season! I still need to get my paws on Tinker Bell’s Signature Colour Murano which is retired now.

What is your favourite piece of PANDORA jewellery?

The Eiffel Tower charm and the PANDORA Disneyland Paris Castle are two of my favourite charms. I have loved Paris since my first visit when was 16 years old and Disneyland has also become very special to me. Visiting the Park always makes me very happy and relaxed. But it’s really difficult to choose a favourite between all those little gems!

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I guess it is like children… you aren’t meant to have a favourite!

Now time for my biggest question: Do you keep your PANDORA bracelets made up in one design, or change and create new styles each time?

I make up bracelets every day, depending on how I feel, where I am going, what I am wearing. That is for me one of the best qualities of PANDORA. I like to design beautiful combinations and wear them with matching accessories. It’s all in the details.

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It really is. That is why my husband says that PANDORA is quite a personal hobby. Do you have any of the special PANDORA promotional items in your collection?

Too many! ?
Have a few pouches, boxes, free bracelets, the Disney Purse, the Shine Clutch, the Shine Jewellery Dish etc.
The PANDORA offers in Belgium are not very good, so I don’t have any items like the PANDORA Christmas ornaments.

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America seems to get the best PANDORA promotions doesn’t it? Maybe if PANDORA are reading (hiya!) they could try to spread the love around a bit more!

What items are currently on your wish list?

I stopped making a wishlist but I do regret not getting the 14k Gold Eiffel Tower when I saw it in Paris after its release a few years ago. I do want all the PANDORA Disney Parks Castles though, so I will be doing my best to collect them all.

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Aww… maybe you will see it again one day. [Whispering] I’ll let you into a little secret… my amazing husband bought me the 14k Gold Eiffel Tower as an early anniversary present for next year! Although, I’m not going to wear it until we visit Paris in the Summertime.

Helen, how do you feel about the direction PANDORA has taken this year?

I think they are exploring other styles. The PANDORA Shine range was not for me as I do have some 14k gold pieces and I don’t think they match together. The PANDORA Reflexions look much nicer then I expected, but don’t offer much creativity and I have seen other brands with that style of bracelets before.

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The Reflexions range seems to have been produced for PANDORA fans who like a simpler, less cluttered style and don’t appreciate the joy of building new designs.

So Helen, what would you like to see from PANDORA in the future?

As a Disney collector I think they really can expand the collection. There are so many wonderful characters still to be added.

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That’s so true. Others have said that there are too many Mickey and Minnie charms and they want to see new characters. So if you could ask PANDORA to produce a new Disney character, who would you pick?

Toy Story characters! I think Woody and Buzz would be amazing as charms. They are so different but showed how true friendship can be more important then where we come from, how we look etc. Like the PANDORA community has showed me too.

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Ooooh (the claw is our master!) that is a great choice! The Aliens would look fantastic as a charm too and imagine what they could do with Slinky Dog!

What do you think of the new PANDORA Winter 2018 collection, did you get any pieces?

The 2018 Winter Collection is one of the better ones this year. I will definitely get the Mickey’s 90th Anniversary and Sorcerer Mickey charms. I also do really like the new PANDORA Essence Mickey and Minnie Portrait charms. It might be the perfect moment to get my first PANDORA Essence bracelet!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpuU_7WlZnd/

Mickey’s 90th Anniversary charm is a must have for me too and I am very tempted by those new Disney Essence charms.