Autumn is fast approaching, and with it comes a new collection of charms from Pandora. I’ve not even recovered yet from Pandora’s simply stunning Spring 2013 collection – I still have a couple of pieces I still want to get yet!
However, Pandora’s Autumn collection is a very different affair – where Spring was characterised by delicate cherry blossom pinks, Autumn is defined by vibrant, emerald greens. The classic fairy tale motifs of Spring, embodied in charms such as the song bird and the frog prince, become eerier, somewhat wilder in Autumn: we have the mischievous looking pixie, the siren (or mermaid) and lots of allusions to the enchanted forest.
I’ve been remarkably well-behaved with this collection: so far, my only purchase has been one of the new cubic zirconia spacers, known either as the Twice as Nice spacers or the Sparkling Forest spacers, depending on where you’re from.
I’m planning on buying another one to go on the other side of my purple murano! However, I have more pieces on my wishlist (of course), including the Shopping Bag, Camel and Swan Embrace.
There are so many charms in this collection that it would be an incredibly long post to write about them all. You can flick through the whole collection at Pandora’s website. What I have done, however, is to pick out my five (well, six) favourite pieces from the new collection. Enjoy!
My Top 5 Must-Have Charms
1. Pandora Shopping Bag Charm
What can I say? An essential for the dedicated Pandora fan. I just love the details on this little bag – the ribbon and the handles are just too cute. The bag also has the Pandora logo on the bottom. The only potential downside is that it is quite big, as far as charms go – but worth the bracelet real estate, in my opinion! (On a side note – this won’t be available on its own in the UK until 4th November. It is currently only available as part of a bracelet starter set, priced at £99 – not a marketing strategy of Pandora’s that I particularly admire!)
2. Swan Embrace
A simply gorgeous piece that features the classic motif of swans’ necks curving together to form a heart. The swans’ little crowns recall those slightly eerie fairy tales where princes and princesses are transformed into swans, or other creatures. Or, of course, you could always see them as a rather lovely symbol for romance! The charm is, in actual fact, perhaps a little chunkier than you’d realise – the swans’ bodies extend quite far behind the necks, which you can’t really see from the stock photo.
3. Sparkling Forest Spacers
Elegant and sparkling, adding a couple of these spacers would lend symmetry and a pretty delicacy to any bracelet design. My favourite of the two is the clear zirconia version.
4. Owl
His green eyes may make him not the most versatile of charms, but he’s just so adorable that I imagine quite a few people will be finding a way to fit him in. A suggestion might be to wear him on one of Pandora’s leather bracelets – the purple or silver versions would look particularly stunning!
5. Chinese Love Heart
I do love Pandora’s puffy heart range, but I’ve not yet indulged in one. This Chinese version of the heart is extremely tempting – perhaps I will have to prompt OH on our next anniversary ;). I think the charm would also go extremely well with the limited edition Hong Bao Money Bag!
And the honourable mention (ssshhh, it’s not really cheating!), is the new Camel charm.
The camel would be great for remembering a holiday or trip, or just as a representation of desert culture. It’s a pretty cute animal charm in itself, too, of course. I read the story of someone who bought the camel charm to represent her conquering an alcohol problem – seeing as camels go for so long without drink! As for me, I did have a particularly traumatic holiday in India, in which I rode camels in the desert. However, I’d be more likely to buy a camel charm for another reason. They’re known for being stubborn – as am I! ;)
It was tough narrowing down my favourites from this collection – so many charms could easily have fitted in there: the Gerbera flower (or the Oopsie Daisy, for American readers), the new Vintage openwork, the new muranos. There’s a lot to love. Admittedly, some of the new charms weren’t of so much interest to me: things such as the pretzel, or the cable car, and I didn’t like the mermaid’s design very much either. But, you have to remember: we’d be in trouble if we fell in love with every single charm!
That’s enough from me. Please feel free to let me know what you thought of the new collection – I’d love to hear from you. Which charms have you bought or are planning to buy? What are your top picks?