Grab a cuppa and settle down for a lovely edition of Collector’s Corner!

On todays edition of Collector’s Corner we are chatting with the lovely Sarah, a long term PANDORA collector.

Sarah, thank you so much for joining us this evening. I just made a batch of coconut brownies so please help your self. First, can you please tell us how long you’ve been collecting PANDORA?

Oh gosh. Since 2010 I believe. My father and step mom bought me my first PANDORA bracelet for Christmas. My step mom and sister just happen to notice I was eying them in a shop display when we were out Christmas shopping that year. They decided to surprise me and bought me a PANDORA bracelet and three beads; the teal flower Murano, the Frog and the Turtle. 

Aww that was a sweet start to PANDORA! It is to be completely surprised with a gift. What was it that first attracted you to PANDORA jewellery?

Well once I got that first bracelet my husband took me to a Jared’s store. He wanted me to pick out a few more beads to fill out the bracelet a little. Well… When I looked at all the options I was just hooked. I fell in love! I think it was the idea I could create jewellery around the things that I love. And since they had Murano charms in so many colours I realised I could also switch them around to match outfits. So I think it was the limitless possibilities that sparked the addiction, the ability to show my creative side  (It’s fun to tell people why you chose each charm) and the fact it was beautiful too didn’t hurt. ?

I also love how just a quick switch of Murano charms can completely change the look of a bracelet. In effect the Muranos actually save you money. That’s what I tell my husband anyway! So Sarah you have been collecting PANDORA for nearly ten years now. Could you tell us a little about your collection?

Most of my PANDORA bracelets have a theme or center around a certain idea. Like nature, family, or just things I like that are similar. I also like to try to balance the bracelet with similar shapes and textures from the center outwards.

For example, my red bracelet includes lots of memories about my house; from the random turtle that scurried across the yard during my daughters birthday party and got more than he bargained for, to my garden. The geese, swans, and ducks my kids would feed, to the pair of cardinals that nested in a tree out back… it’s all memories of happy moments. 

That is both a beautiful story and beautiful bracelet! I love the flower charm next to the Ladybird Murano. That is still on my wish list. I think it would look lovely with the PANDORA Disney Parks Epcot charm, which is also an oxidised floral design. Do you have any rare, or hard to find pieces in your collection? 

Yes I do have a few. One of my favorites is the Asian Exclusive Pear. I also managed to get two beautiful green Murano charms which I wear on an Essence necklace. They were also Asian exclusives that I got from tyediedeb on eBay. She is one of the few people selling real PANDORA and she happens to have a friend in Hong Kong. She is great for finding those older hard to find pieces and I’ve bought several from her, including my wooden beads which were retired by the time I started collecting. 

Other favourite charms are the ones my parents bought me when to Germany for their anniversary. They brought me back the Blue Flower Murano, Charming Chick, and the Piggy Bank charm. 

My husband also bought me the Fairytale Fish that used to be a Russian exclusive. I wear it on a chain all the time since I love it so much. He was pretty bummed he paid so much to get it from Russia then only to have it come out everywhere like two years later. ?

On a side note, I wish they would make the Arabian tea/coffee pot available all over. I really want to get it and haven’t been able to get my hands on one yet. I also have the gorgeous Pink and Blue Birthday Bloom charms with the real gemstones, before PANDORA started using synthetic versions. Plus I have the old Perfume Bottle charm with the orange stone on top. 

I also bought the Fairytale Fish when it was a Russian exclusive! Although I am pleased my one has an additional Russian hallmark on so at least it still seems a bit more special. I hope to be able to purchase the Arabian Coffee Pot. It would be a wonderful reminder of the mint tea I enjoyed in Morocco.
Seeing as you have such a large and varied collection, this next question might be hard to answer. What is your favourite piece of PANDORA jewellery?

Oh goodness that IS hard! I usually match my bracelets to the colour I’m wearing that day. Granted I do especially love the three I have which are centered around my kids and family. 

My yellow PANDORA bracelet is themed around things my son likes. The only non PANDORA bead is the cute monkey in the middle. He loves monkeys and I couldn’t find a PANDORA version I really liked.  

My pink PANDORA bracelet is for family and friends and is pretty special too. It has a charm for each of my best friends, my husband and kids, and favorite family members. The squirrel and penguin aren’t PANDORA beads though. My husband’s favorite animal is a squirrel ? Do you know how hard it is to find a cute squirrel charm? The squirrel is a Biagi bead and is super cute. 

Finally my blue PANDORA bracelet is centered around my girls. They love Disney and all their favorite movies are illustrated by charms on there. I designed it before PANDORA produced actual Disney charms. 

Wow! They are lovely designs and so special! So Sarah, now for my big question… Do you make up bracelets one by one, or do you keep your charms and bracelets separate and make up bracelets for any occasion?  

I used to put them together and switch out the Muranos to match my outfit, but over the years with what my family and friends have gotten me I started to accumulate so many that I didn’t need to do that anymore! Plus due to all the PANDORA free bracelet promotions, I ended up having more than enough bracelets to keep everything separate. Now when I see a new charm I like and it won’t fit on a moments bracelet, I wear it on a bangle. So I’ll have a Moments bracelet on one wrist and a stack on the other with bangles, Essence, and/ or leather. 

That makes sense. I keep everything separate which especially helps me when I write reviews. So Sarah, do you have anything exciting on your wish list?

Ooooo… Well I love the new good fortune carp for my Asian inspired bracelet. I also love the new Christmas train. I have a few small Christmas related bracelets. As for what’s coming up in the Spring Collection, I’m pretty excited for the new Butterfly Murano and the Turtle charm. 

The upcoming Spring Collection is amazing! I love the Butterfly Murano too and it is on my wishlist along with the Watering Can, Floral Bella Bot and Classic Flower Arrangement. Only one more sleep to go!
As a long term collector, what do you think of the direction PANDORA is taking in 2019?

I honestly wish they would stop using so much cubic zirconia in everything. I love the charms that have a lot of detail and they let the oxidation show off the design. The floral PANDORA Disney Parks Epcot charm you mentioned earlier is a good example, as well as the Seven Dwarfs All Around spacer. I hope 2019 they have more of that. I feel like lately a lot of the charms lately are super cute, but not quite my style.  

I do love that they have so many new types of bracelets coming out. I’m interested to see how the new bracelet designs will hold up. I am excited to see the new butterfly clasp bracelet in store when they come out.

I also hope they do more for the PANDORA Rose line. I love my PANDORA Rose bracelet and have a good way to go before it’s finished.

With all that in mind, what would you like to see from PANDORA in the future? 

More character and animal beads. As well as things that are deigned after hobbies. It’s always fun to be able to connect the beads you buy with memories and people you love. I feel like they have retired so many and haven’t replaced them. 

I’ll second that! Sarah, you mentioned that your children love Disney. What PANDORA Disney charms would you like to see PANDORA produce?

I love Disney PANDORA. I really want to get the Flying Dumbo charm. I do have two PANDORA Disney Moments bracelets. One with the sparkling castle clasp and the other with the a Mickey Mouse swirl design. I also have several other Disney charms. As for ones they haven’t made yet… Pete’s dragon would be my top pick, as it was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Also Lady and the Tramp, The Aristocats, and Sword in the Stone would be fun. 

Sarah, thank you so much for visiting. You have been the perfect guest and I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at your wonderful PANDORA collection and hearing your views.

Fancy appearing on Collector’s Corner? Send me an email at dora@theartofpandora.com