Review: Pandora Christmas Collection 2013

Today’s post offers my thoughts and review of Pandora’s newly-released Christmas collection for 2013. I’ll also be running through my top five charms from the collection and offering you a sneak peek of what I’ve bought :) If you’re looking for a full overview of each piece in the collection, click here.

Review

The theme for this year’s Winter release is un-apologetically holiday-based. The charms are dedicated to either winter or Christmas motifs, with representations of reindeer, snowflakes, gifts and Santa’s sleigh being the order of the day. The inclusion of more neutral winter pieces such as the mittens or snowflake charms are great for those who don’t celebrate or particularly enjoy Christmas, while the enamel Father Christmas, Christmas tree and Three Wise Men are perfect for those who do.

As for myself, while I really liked the Autumn/Fall collection, I am just in love with this Winter collection from Pandora. The charms all represent stunning attention to detail: when I went and had a good look at them all in store, I was surprised by all the little details that you just don’t notice in the stock photos. The Silver Bells have real articulating clappers inside them; the Reindeer has a little bell around his neck; the Mittens really move on their chain. I was particularly surprised by the Snow Globe charm: I have never been overly impressed by it in stock photos, as it looked clumsy to me. However, in person, it looked so much prettier; the white is crisp, and the shape of it is tight and defined. It doesn’t look clumsy at all, and the little reindeer is very cute!

Of course, it does help that I always get into the Christmas spirit, and I would buy all of the charms if I could! Choosing what I want from this collection is going to be so difficult: if only one could have them all. ;)

So far, I’ve bought just one piece from the Christmas collection: the new reindeer dangle.

I’ve been coveting him for weeks and I just couldn’t resist those tiny hooves in person ;) I’ll be publishing a full review on this lovely piece in the next few days.

Gallery

Below are all of Pandora’s styling suggestions for the Winter collection – just click on an image to cycle through the gallery. I personally love their two tone suggestions.

My Top 5 Winter Charms

1. Reindeer

Elegant, but fun, this little charm is a beautiful way to represent the winter season on your bracelet. He’s poised mid-leap, conveying all the excitement and bustle of the holiday season.

2. Sleigh

This updated version, in my opinion, far outdoes the original garnet sleigh, and is another representation of how far Pandora’s designs have come. It boasts beautiful attention to detail, with the inclusion of the little minature bear, candy cane and presents in the back of the sleigh, and the stylised look of the sleigh itself. The price point is steep at £60, but it’s hard to resist such a pretty design.

3. Mittens

The mittens charm is a perfect demonstration of the way to do ‘cute’. The little enamel hearts give just a touch of subtle colour, making them suitable for a variety of bracelet colour schemes. It’s on my Christmas wishlist for sure!

4. Carousel

For me, the carousel charm summons up all the magic of going to a Christmas fair as a child – the bright lights, enticing smells of warm food, and the excitement of the carousel. The charm also adorably has ‘Merry Go Round’ inscribed on its base.

5. Winter’s Kiss or Snowflake Pendant

This is a particularly stunning piece – it sparkles beautifully in the light. Although designed to be a pendant, it looks great on a bracelet, too, and would make a stunning centre piece. I really love the US name for this charm, as well – ‘Winter’s Kiss’.

And the honourable mention goes to the Bow charm (or Perfect Gift, if you’re in the US). This one is surprisingly cute in person!

Well, that’s it for new releases this year. However, I’m already looking forward to seeing what the Valentine’s collection will look like next year ;).

Have you bought anything from the Christmas collection, or are you planning any purchases? What did you think of Pandora’s winter offering?