Second Pandora Retirement 2014

At the end of May, I previously reported on a list of charms that would be retiring in the second half of 2014 – however, retailers in the US & Canada have posted a new list detailing the full extent of the charms that will be retiring in their region. While the following charms are not officially listed as retired on Pandora.net yet, retailers in the US will now begin to send these back to Pandora – so I’d advise you to check with your local store when that will be, and to get anything you want sooner rather than later.

As to how this North American list corresponds with what pieces will be retired globally, it’s hard to say – while there is a global list of retiring pieces from Pandora, each region is free to retire pieces outside of that list. Consequently, there is inevitably variation between each territory. For example, some of the pieces listed here may already be retired in your region.

Pandora Second Retirement 2014

This US list has even more pieces on it that I am sad to see go – many of my favourite charms that I own are included, and I’m slightly baffled as to why so many much-loved and classic silver pieces are leaving the collection. It seems to me that Pandora are reshaping the look and style of their jewellery dramatically, and the majority of their older pieces are being gradually retired.

This might not seem like too many two tone charms on the face of it, but it does represent quite a chunk of the two tone collection, which is much smaller than the silver range. The Heart of Gold was my first two tone charm, and one of my favourites – however, I suppose that it does exemplify an older, more simple aesthetic that doesn’t quite fit with Pandora’s new output.

So many of my favourite silver charms are on the list – the adorable Alarm Clock, the Rose, and the beautifully-detailed Teddy Bear. I’m a little concerned that so many of the more affordable silver charms are being retired, as Pandora are not re-introducing that many into their new collections; most of the new charms have accents in the form of enamel or cubic zirconia. The Pig Head and the Hippo were already retired in the US, but I was working from an older collage and forgot to take those off. Sorry!

There are a large number of charms with enamel and gemstone accents retiring, too. Pandora are really going in for the kill with some of these – even one of the classic Pandora heart charms is going! There aren’t too many of these that I would miss that much, although I love the Russian Doll charm, which went in the UK sale – however, I’ve yet to get it.

I’m perplexed, too, as to why Pandora are retiring their murano glass at such a voracious rate. I’m wondering if they are trying to phase out the larger silver cored muranos in lieu of the new style muranos, which feature slimmer silver cores. Some have wondered if murano glass simply isn’t that popular, but I do find that a little hard to believe – not only do many dedicated collectors incorporate them into their bracelet designs, but most of the designs that I see out and about do feature the muranos.

Once again, I’m saddened that many of these pendant charms are being discontinued. I am absolutely amazed to see the beautiful Viola Bloom/Garden Odyssey pendant retire – this is one of my favourite pieces that I own, and it is just exquisite. It’s certainly one of my most treasured charms, and if it proves to retire globally, I suppose it can only become more special. I’ll also be on the look out to see if the Pearl of Hearts pendant will be retiring here in the UK, as I might need to snap that up too before it’s gone.

I am a little gobsmacked to see all these clips retiring! :( I particularly love the star clip and the amazing Rockstar clips – I’d have thought they’d have fitted very well with the starry themes of the Winter 2014 collection, too. On the other hand, I have never been a fan of the Dogwood clips, so I’m not too surprised to see those going.

I can’t say that I’m personally concerned to see the discontinuation of the smooth leather bracelet range, as they have never appealed to me quite as much as the original cord leather bracelets. Moreover, I heard about some issues with production on these leather bracelets. The fabric cord bracelets, too, have met with mixed reactions from fans, with some expressing concerns over their durability and difficulties in keeping them looking nice.

My Comment

Some of these charms are relatively new to Pandora’s Moments collection, which makes me wonder if this represents the start of a slightly new model wherein there’s a higher turnover of charms being released and retired. However, there are a lot of the older pieces being retired, too, suggesting that Pandora wants to distance itself from its older, simpler aesthetic and focus on its new style, which features a greater use of enamel and cubic zirconia accenting – one that has had mixed reviews from long-time collectors.

I personally own and love quite a few of the charms on this list, and prefer them to some of the new ones. :/ At least this gives me the push I need to actually go out and get them!

Will you be looking to acquire any of these before they go? What do you make of the reasoning behind the decision to retire these pieces?